


You Kiss Me Back Together

by Rebekah_Zellers



Category: NCIS
Genre: Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Love, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-03
Updated: 2021-01-08
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:40:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 67,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23464078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rebekah_Zellers/pseuds/Rebekah_Zellers
Summary: Tony's found love.  Can Gibbs win her over?  How will the strained working relationship of McGee, Bishop and Torres fair as they try to get to know the woman that has captured Tony's heart.
Relationships: Gibb and DiNozzo
Comments: 227
Kudos: 149





	1. Chapter 1

Tony took a deep breath, pushed himself away from his desk and made is way towards the desk of one, Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Stopping in front of it, he quickly turned on his heels and headed for the stairs. He needed a voice of reason, a voice that would reassure him that it would be okay to let Gibbs in.

“Tony?” Delores looked up when she heard her office door open. “What’s wrong?” 

“I just need a voice of sanity,” Tony sat down with a thud. “I want to invite Gibbs to dinner to meet Ashley, but I can’t get the words out.”

“Who is Ashley?” Gibbs asked from the doorway. “Don’t get mad, I was worried about you.”

“A beautiful woman that he met,” Delores smiled. “I met her last month, by accident. I went to the grocery store and ran into them. They very graciously invited me over for a movie and junk food.”

“Am I getting junk food?” Gibbs looked almost excited, which put Tony at ease.

“I was thinking that we’d do spaghetti, chicken parm, garlic bread and a salad for the first meeting. Unless you just want junk food, we could change the menu.”

“Tony, relax. It sounds delicious.” Gibbs paused. “What can I bring and when would you like to do this?”

“Bring a bottle of sparkling cider and tomorrow night?” Tony sighed. “Ashley doesn’t drink, long history of alcoholism in her family so she doesn’t want to start and go down that path.”

“Got it,” looking at Delores, Gibbs gave the woman a warm look. “Lunch is on me, if we can borrow your table, Delores. What would you like?”

“I’ll order,” pausing to study Gibbs, Delores was hit with inspiration as she placed the order. “They will deliver in about 22 minutes; we get top priority because we are a federal building.”

Shutting the door to Delores’s office, Gibbs sat back down next to Tony. “Tell me about Ashley.”

“She’s a kindergarten teacher,” Tony smiled. “Loves her classroom and her children. I met her when I went to take the statement of that school resource officer that witnessed the shooting last year.”

“You’ve been dating a year?” Gibbs paused. “You didn’t say anything. Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Gibbs, I needed to see where this went before, I decided to bring them into this. I didn’t want the pressure of the team in the middle of what was building. Now, I am ready for her to meet you, she is ready to meet you. You are an important part of my life, Gibbs. I didn’t want to hide anything from you, but after Ziva, I needed to be sure.”

“I understand,” Gibbs sighed. “I would have done the same, Tony.”

“If I could be so bold,” Delores picked up her phone to look at her text. “Our food is here, but Tony I don’t think you want to treat your relationship with Ashley like a secret. You should treat it like a precious gift, but one you’re not willing share with just anyone.”

“Where’d you go on your first date?” Gibbs wanted to be supportive, he needed to be supportive.

“We went to the school carnival,” Tony laughed. “Spent a lot of money on games that day, but it made her so happy that it was going to the school. She still has the pink poodle that I won for her, the rest we gave to the low-income kids. Second date, we decorated her room for Halloween. We hung cobwebs off of everything, ate pizza and a whole cake that we got from that bakery on Wisconsin.”

“Third date?” Gibbs laughed. “Don’t tell me it was her class Halloween party.”

“We went to the Old Stone House,” Tony laughed. “She quizzed me at the end of the date, it was hilarious. We laughed until our sides hurt. I remember we picked up Chinese food and had a picnic in the parking lot of my building. She pulled a blanket out of her car and spread it on that piece of grass at the side, we ate too much. Drank way too much water, I was up and down all night.”

“Worth every trip,” Gibbs snorted. “Is she tall?”

“No,” Tony laughed. “She’s 5’2” and 100 lbs., but do not let that fool you. That girl can out eat me. I am sure she will mind her manners with you, but she can belch better than any man I have heard. I love her not so girlie moments, a lot.”

“They are the fun ones, aren’t they?” Gibbs thought back to Shannon. 

“The first time I told he a joke,” Tony started to laugh. “She made his noise that was a combination of a cow mooing and pig squeal. All I could do was stand there and look at her, she started laughing so hard. She said that since I didn’t run in the other direction, I was worth giving a chance. I was afraid to make her laugh again until finally confessed that she faked that.”

Friday went quickly, much to the relief of Gibbs and Tony. Making his way to the address that Tony had given him, Gibbs smiled when he pulled up to a small cottage, situated at the end of a dead-end street. It was peaceful, beautiful and not what he expected. Immediately, his eyes rested on the rock garden that adorned the area in front of the house.

“My students paint a rock every year, at the end of the school year. I work all year to paint them each one to give in return. I put them there to reminds me as I leave for school the love that I feel for this job, despite everything that we must through to be there. I’m Ashley.”

“Gibbs,” extending his hand, Gibbs was surprised to be pulled into a hug.

“Thank you for coming,” Ashley laughed. “Tony has talked about you, a lot. I hope he left out a few details about me, though.” Trying out her pig snort laugh, Ashley was impressed. “Ok, he’s a keeper. Didn’t even flinch at my snort.”

“Gibbs,” Tony laughed. “Sorry, I didn’t realize that it was that late. I would have spared you the Petunia Pig test.”

“I survived,” making his way into the kitchen, Gibbs peeked at the sauce, inhaling deeply. “That smells fantastic, you don’t disappoint, DiNozzo.”

“Are you from here, Ashley?” Gibbs questioned softly, there was something that seemed so fragile about this woman, maybe it was just her size. 

“No, I grew up in Terre Haute, Indiana. I left when my job ended and the school closed. I was heartbroken so I decided to look across the country and find one that would fit my needs. Here, I am.” 

“She’s made a life for herself here,” Tony sighed as he stirred the sauce. “She has a lot of favorite spots; we’ve been dating 13 months and we’re still working through her favorite places to eat. 

“He’s teaching me to cook,” Ashley laughed. “I was always so busy with sports and school activities, that my mom didn’t really have time to teach me anything but the basics. I can make a meal, just not a very fancy one. Never thought I would be making my own pasta or sauces, until Tony.”

Ashley turned up abruptly, confusing Tony. Making her way into the dining room she took a deep breath. This was not here comfort zone, she felt socially inadequate to what Tony was expecting of her.

“Hey,” Tony made his way in to check on her. “It’s just like the day that Delores came over, he’s a friend. You can trust Gibbs, he’s a good guy.”

“You talk in your sleep,” Ashley whispered. “I know things that you don’t even realize that I know. He’s hurt you, Tony.”

“He has,” Tony sighed. “Ash, you need to understand that man carries a world full of hurt on his shoulders and in his heart. He’s been through things that I don’t think I would have survived. Aside from that, he’s face death so many times, what he does that hurts, he thinks he is doing to protect me. I don’t need him to protect me, I just need him to love me.” Tony paused. “Which he does, in his way. It’s complicated, but it’s how our dynamic is.”

“I can work past it,” Ashley sighed. “I just need a moment.”

“Tony,” Gibbs stepped into the dining room. “May I speak with Ashley for a moment?”

Stepping out, Tony stepped around the wall to listen. He trusted Gibbs with his life, but he wasn’t sure that he fully trusted him with Ashley… not just yet.

“I know that I have hurt Tony,” Gibbs sighed as he pulled out a chair to have a seat. “I am not proud of it, but I can’t change it. What I can do, is try hard not to do it again.”

“How are you going to do that?” Ashley sat across from Jethro. “From what I can gather from piecing things together, I just don’t feel that you’ll succeed.”

“I don’t know what you have been able to piece together,” Gibbs paused. 

“Ashley,” Tony walked into the dining room to come this his friend’s rescue. “I didn’t say anything before now, this was not my story to tell. Thirty years ago, Gibbs’s wife and daughter were killed, assassinated because his wife was going to testify against a Mexican Drug Lord. He was deployed at the time, he joined NCIS as a result. After that, he married several times after that, but they failed because they weren’t Shannon.”

“Tony,” Gibbs whispered trying to get his young friend to stop, only to have Tony place a supportive hand on his shoulder, to anchor him.

“He saw me heading down the same path that has consumed his life and left him with is heart shattered, his soul broken.” Tony watched as Gibbs stood to walk away. Placing his hand back on his shoulder, he stopped him. “Every day, I watch the pain dance in his eyes and every day, I wish there was something more that I could do so that it wasn’t there. If this dance that we do helps, that’s what we do.”

“Gibbs,” Ashley whispered. “I am so sorry for the pain that this life has caused you. I am just going to ask you this once, please don’t make your pain, Tony’s pain.”

“I will try very hard,” Gibbs whispered as he walked away, the closing of the door leaving Tony’s heart in his stomach.

“You need to pull back the attitude with him,” Tony sighed. “I didn’t invite him here so that you can turn this into an attack. That man buried his wife, his daughter, several agents that he worked closely with, including one that he was in love with at some point. His life has been nothing but pain, Ashley. Not everyone can go to work, spend it coloring and talking to kids and come home to a self-sheltered existence. Some of us, we have to face the real world every single day.”

“I’m sorry,” Ashley sighed. “I really am sorry. What can I do?”

“Well, since you ran him out of here with an empty stomach, we can take him dinner. I think that it’s time you see the world of Gibbs. I have to warn you, parts of it step back thirty years, he’s stuck at that moment in time.” Tony walked into the kitchen and started to put the food into containers. 

Ashley followed Tony into Jethro’s home, her eyes settling on the dining area. “Their first table,” Ashley whispered. “Tony, I didn’t realize.”

“Gibbs,” Tony opened the basement door to find it empty. “Stay here,” making his way to the stairs, the agent cautiously made his way up the steps listening for any sign of distress. “Gibbs?”

“She’s not wrong,” Gibbs sighed as he looked through the slips of paper in a box that was on his lap. “I was wrong for how I treated you. I should have let you make your own mistakes and supported you through them. Broke Rule 8 in the process.”

“Rule 8?” Ashley commented from the doorway. “What’s rule 8?”

“Never take anything for granted,” Gibbs looked up to meet her eyes. “Rule 51, sometimes you’re wrong.”

“I was wrong to not hear you out,” Ashley moved closer. “May I sit with you?”

Nodding, Gibbs moved over slightly on the bed. “Box belonged to Shannon; it was the first gift I ever gave her. She called it her treasure box.”

“You keep your rules in there?” Ashley questioned softly.

“Yeah,” Gibbs nodded as he closed the box. “Everyone needs a code to live by, it’s mine. Why are you two here?”

“We’re hungry,” Tony laughed. “We invited you to dinner and we weren’t going to eat that dinner without you. So, I packed it up and brought it with me. Let’s go eat it while it’s still warm.”

Ashley stayed quiet while they ate, her eyes looked around the very dated house. This man, that Tony seemed to adore, was living a thirty year hell. Finishing her meal, she moved to the kitchen to start cleaning up, realizing the dated kitchen wasn’t much better.

“Gibbs,” Ashley made her way into the dining area with the coffee pot. “Refill?”

“Thank you,” Gibbs help up his cup.

“Your neighborhood is beautiful; it would be nice to take a walk after dinner.” Ashely was trying to find a way to warm up this man.

“There is a park at the end of the street,” Gibbs nodded to his left. “Got some lettuce and spinach in the fridge we could take to feed the ducks.”

Smiling, Ashley placed her hand on the back of Jethro’s neck and gave it a gentle squeeze. “You’re a very wise man, Jethro Gibbs.”

“She has been known to lecture someone for twenty minutes on why you never feed them bread, I think you impressed her.” Tony teased. Waiting for Ashely to return to the kitchen, Tony leaned in. “I’m sorry she was so rough on you. I didn’t know and if I hurt you with what I said, it wasn’t’ my intention.”

“I know,” Gibbs sighed. “Didn’t hurt me, it’s just hard to hear.”

“Sometimes, Gibbs, you have to let people in.” Tony sighed. “A lot of what has happened between us is because you are so busy keeping that wall up and I am working so hard to keep this mask snapped into place that we forget that it’s ok to need someone.”

“I like her,” Gibbs watched as Ashley washed the dishes. “She’s got fire in her soul.”

“When Shannon was alive,” Tony paused to give Gibbs a moment. “When you had a bad day, did you feel like her touch and her kiss .. well she kissed you back together when you felt like you were falling apart?”

“Yeah,” Gibbs nodded through tears. “I did. If she does that for you, Tony. You hold her tight and don’t let her go.”


	2. Chapter 2

Ashley secured her sneakers, took a deep breath as she stood. “Tony, I had a nice time the other night. I feel so sad for him. I can’t believe how much heartache he has had to endure in his life. You said something about injuries?”

Opening the door, Tony waited for Ashley to exit. “He’s been in a coma twice, shot several times. That last one, it was a kid. He shot him in the chest and knee, I didn’t think he would make it. It was a very long haul back; he was pretty messed up from it for a while.”

Jogging along side the man she loved; Ashley tried to process what Tony was stating. “Do you think he has a death wish? To see his wife and daughter again?”

“When he woke up from one of his comas, he thought he was just finding out they died. The agony of watching him grieve again, it was too much. I stood in his hospital room door one night, it was about 3 a.m., the nurses knew I wouldn’t disturb him. He was calling out of them in his sleep.”

Finishing their run in silence, Tony and Ashley made their way back into the house to get ready for work. “Tony,” Ashley sighed. “I want to sell the house. What do you think?”

“I think if that is what you want to do, you should do it. Why do you want to sell it? It’s a beautiful neighborhood.” Tony questioned as he turned on the shower. “Ashley?”

“I was hoping that we could find a home together,” giggling with nerves. “Tony, I’m very happy. I would love to live with you.”

“I would love that too,” Tony leaned out of the shower to kiss his lady. “I was thinking about selling my place too, it’s nice but it’s not a home. I enjoy being out in the backyard after work and being able to take walks. We could get bicycles!”

Joining Tony in the shower, Ashley sighed in contentment as his arms wrapped around her. “We should get a huge storage unit, start putting things in it. Clear out the clutter.”

“I could put both on the interoffice message board,” Tony offered. “I think someone at NCIS would be interested.”

“We should find something we like first,” Ashley paused. “Do you want kids?”

“I do,” Tony whispered. “If you don’t, I am fine with that. I’m actually a bit frightened by the small beings.”

“I want kids,” Ashley thought for a moment. “We’ll want a guest room too.”

“So, you’re thinking,” Tony tried to read her mind. “Four bedrooms?”

“Yes, four bedrooms, a fenced in backyard and I would love a back porch.” Ashley laughed. “Wow, we’re domesticating in the shower.”

“I would rather do something else,” Tony laughed. “But we have to get to work.”

Tony was sitting at his desk when his phone dinged, looking down it was a link to a house that Ashley has passed on her way to work. “What do you think?”

“I think we should make an appointment to look at it,” Tony sighed, he needed to figure out their day to see if he could be available. “We’re working on reports today, if we could see it today….”

“Calling right now….” Ashley’s text read.

“DiNozzo?” Gibbs quipped. “Something you’d like to share with the class?”

“No,” Tony turned back to his computer, Gibbs sure did have a knack for ruining a mood sometimes. Standing, he made his way to the break room to get a snack, hoping the walk to and from would brighten his suddenly sullen mood.

“What’s wrong?” Gibbs moved in beside Tony, putting money in the machine for his own snack.

“Here,” Tony handed over his phone. “It was a happy moment for about thirty seconds.”

“A house,” Gibbs was stunned. “You’re selling your place?”

“And hers,” Tony commented. “Her idea.”

“She sent a text that you can see it at 5:30 p.m., today,” Gibbs handed Tony’s phone back to him. “I’ll have you out of here on time.”

Giving the text a thumb’s up, Tony took a deep breath. “Gibbs, I can’t keep brushing your shitty moods off. I’m done getting over things because, it’s just how you are. I have feelings, Ashley has feelings, hell Bishop, Torres and McGee have feelings. Whatever your issues, you need to work them out. There are times and going to be times where we need to you to be a friend, not a boss. This would have been one of those times. I wasn’t not doing my work, I was answering a text and instead of waiting until you had me alone, you made an ass out of me in front of those three. How do you expect them to ever respect me, if you keep doing that?”

“I have to agree,” Jack stepped from around the corner. “They take your treatment of Agent DiNozzo and mimic it. If you have no respect for him, they have no respect for him. That team of yours, it works well together if you are there to pull the strings. You walk away and it’s as if daddy left on an errand, they are picking on big brother making his life a living hell.”

“You’re right,” Gibbs nodded as he turned around and headed back to the bullpen. “DiNozzo’s in charge, I’ll be back.”

“Boss?” Gibbs grabbed his coat, gun, badge and key to head out. He had to change the way the team treated Tony, he had to change the way he seemed to instantly treat Tony. Now that his agent was in love, he knew that he would put the needs and opinion of his companion at the top of his priorities. Leaving McGee still wondering what was going on.

“Tibbs maneuver,” Gibbs mumbled as he walked past Tony. Watching as there was a sudden spring in Tony’s step, he made his way to the elevator to start his part of his plan.

“Okay, I am in charge. I have looked over the reports from the last case we were one.” Tony handed them back to each of them with a big red F on them. “You will do them over again and again and again until I feel they are correct. You have one hour to send me the first copy, starting now.”

“I don’t see anything wrong with this,” Torres commented as he looked at his report. Smiling with the other two chimed in.

“Perhaps this will help then,” Tony pulled the reports from everyone. “We will play exchange our papers in class now. Eleanor, you will review and make notes on Nick’s report. Nick, you will be reviewing and making notes on Tim’s report and Timothy McWriter, you will have the honor of dissecting Eleanor’s report. One hour, I suggest you get busy.”

An hour later, Tony looked up to see the trio was still making notes on the reports in front of them. “Are you ready to send them back to the original agent?”

“Ten more minutes,” the trio rang out.

“Time is up,” Tony stood and grabbed the reports, returned them to their original owners and exited the bullpen. Making his way up to the upper tier with a fresh cup of coffee, he stepped into the conference room off of HR. “Here, I thought you could use a refill.”

“That was a good exercise,” Gibbs pointed to the monitors. “They aren’t fighting yet.”

“They won’t,” Tony sat down. “They need each other, they know without the others they are nothing.”

“You have more team building planned?” Gibbs questioned as he took a drink of his coffee.

“I do,” Tony winked. “They aren’t going to like it. Can you watch autopsy on that thing?”

“I can,” Gibbs smiled. “I have something else to do, but I will be back in a couple hours.”

“Gibbs,” Ashley’s heart sank as she saw him at her classroom door. “Is Tony okay?”

“Yep,” Jethro smiled at the children in Ashley’s class. “He told me how you take money out of your own pocket for supplies. I brought you some things for your classroom.”

“Gibbs, this is amazing.” Ashley gasped. “You got us new storybooks! Look everyone! We have new books to read and coloring pages to do. Safety scissors, they don’t have to share any more. Gibbs, I am speechless. I can’t thank you enough for this.”

“Hi,” a little girl with big blue eyes tapped on Jethro’s legs. “Are you a good guy?”

“I think so,” Gibbs smiled at the sweet little face. “Are you a good girl?”

“Depends on who you ask,” there was a giggle that melted Jethro’s heart. “What’s that?” 

“That is his badge,” Ashley explained. “This is Agent Gibbs, he is a very special kind of police officer just like Agent Tony is, but this is Agent Tony’s boss.”

“You can arrest people?” Marty, a little boy with dark hair that didn’t know which direction it should be going spoke up.

“I can,” Gibbs snorted. “Got someone in mind?”

“My bus driver,” Marty sighed. “Can’t drive worth a lick.”

“How about, I just talk to him. You let me know if my talk doesn’t work. Deal?” Gibbs put out a hand to shake on it.

“Deal!” Marty smiled; he was so proud that he was getting help with his big problem.

“Agent Gibbs, my name is Serenity. It’s nice to meet you!” The little girl put her arms around Jethro’s leg. “You’re beautiful.”

“I think you are beautiful too,” Gibbs stooped down to meet her eyes. “Got a boyfriend?”

“Yep! You!” Serenity giggles echoed through the room. “You’re mine now.”

“I’m honored.” Gibbs kissed the little girl’s hand. “Nice to meet you, ma’am.” Standing up, Gibbs turned to Ashley with a laugh. “They are great for a person’s ego.”

“Stay away from her mom,” Ashley laughed. “That woman is …”

“She’s a floozie,” Serenity sighed. “Total slut, that’s what my grandma says. I don’t know where I went wrong.”

“Okay then,” Ashley bit her lip and turned to Gibbs. “These supplies are so appreciated, I am touched, very touched. Do you think we could try that dinner thing again?”

“We could,” Gibbs commented. “After you are in your new house, we’ll grill steaks on your back porch. Tony and I can add an outdoor kitchen. He’s talked about it before; it would be my gift to the two of you.”

“Thank you,” without thinking, Ashley pulled Gibbs into a hug.

“Ms. Johnson! Get your hands off my man!” Serenity stood with her hands on her hips. 

“Why don’t you come look at this house with us tonight, I am sure Tony would appreciate a second set of eyes and I can say thank you again.” Ashley squeezed Jethro’s hands in appreciation, relieved when he gave it a light squeeze back.

“5:30,” Gibbs confirmed as he winked at his girlfriend. “Later.” Making his way to the bus garage, Gibbs politely explained that the children were valuable and precious, that the bus drivers were to handle with care. By the looks of the pale faces, he was pretty sure that he got his message across and Marty would be happy on his bus ride from now on.

Making his way back up to the conference room to check on the team, Gibbs had a feeling that Tony was having more fun with this than he had intended for him to. 

“Timothy,” Ducky’s voice filtered through the speakers. “If you would turn around and fall allowing Nicholas to catch you. This is called a trust fall.”

“I don’t know, Ducky. I’m not keen on giving up that kind of control. Maybe Bishop could go first, I will watch and maybe loosen up a bit.” McGee was not going to willingly participate in this exercise, no matter what Ducky or Tony said.

“Nonsense,” Ducky snapped. “You will do this, or Anthony has instructed me to send you to the gym.”

“I will go to the gym,” Tim sighed as he exited autopsy. “What the hell does Tony think I am going to gain with a trust fall?”

“I didn’t think you gain anything,” Tony stepped out of the shadows. “What I did gain from that was, you do not trust Torres or Bishop enough to trust them with your safety.”

“I didn’t say that,” Tim argued.

“Yet, you did.” Tony corrected as he pushed the button to the elevator. Turning around, he called out to Tim. “Catch me.” Allowing himself to fall backwards, Tony was relieved when Tim did catch him.

“You trust me?” Tim was astonished. “You could have gotten hurt.”

“Go to the gym, find Agent Fonce, get a workout in. I am going to see what those two are up to before we join you.” Walking into autopsy, Tony was exasperated by the sound of arguing. “Enough!” 

“Anthony,” Ducky motioned for his taller, younger friend to turn around. “Perhaps, we should demonstrate. Oh, dear. One moment, Jethro is calling me.”

Tony trusted that Ducky wouldn’t hurt him, he just didn’t know what his plan was. Turning around, Tony crossed his arms on his chest and waited for Ducky to finish the call.

“Go ahead, Anthony.” Ducky signaled watching as Tony fell into the arms of Vance.

“Hi Director,” Tony laughed. “Good catch.”

“Did you know it was going to be me?” Vance was confused.

“No, but I trusted that Ducky wouldn’t hurt me. For the record, I would have trusted you too.” Tony demonstrated by turning back around and falling again. “It’s a rush, want to try it?”

“I do, actually.” Bishop and Torres watched as Vance trusted Tony to break his fall.

“Go to the gym,” Tony instructed the duo. “I have set you up with Special Agent Fonce, she prides herself in the fitness of agents.”

“Interesting approach,” Gibbs snickered as he appeared from the shadows. “I saw the reports, that was brutal. Wish I had thought of it.”

“Comes from dating a schoolteacher,” Tony laughed. “She’s given me some ideas.”

“Anthony,” Ducky watched his friend’s face. “You’re in love. What is your beautiful lady’s name?”

“Ashley,” Tony sighed. “Director, Ducky, Palmer, I don’t want the team to know about her yet. Please, I want to wait to tell them. I need to assert myself more as a leader before I allow them a glimpse of that part of my life.”

“Are you happy?” Vance’s tone showed support, approval.

“Happier than I have ever been in my life,” Tony beamed. “At the end of the day, when we go home to try to leave all this crap behind us, she brings me back to life just with a kiss.”

“Jackie did the same thing for me,” Vance winked. “Cherish it, Agent DiNozzo. Women that are willing to love us through this job are rare.”

Tony’s phone dinged; a picture that said show Gibbs appeared. “Gibbs? Picture of Ashley reading to her class? What did you do?”

“Went shopping,” Gibbs studied the picture, his eyes settling on Serenity and his little buddy Marty. 

“Jethro,” Ducky beamed with pride. “Do you have any idea how much a simple gesture like that means to a teacher?”

“I do, Ducky.” Gibbs sighed. “I didn’t realize how much they take out of their own pockets for their classrooms until we were talking the other night. I wanted to help.”

“Why don’t we all help?” Vance peeked at the picture over Jethro’s shoulder. “Does she ever have to buy clothing or shoes for the kids in her class?”

“We bought coats over the winter for four different children,” Tony sighed. “They had money for boots and not coats. The kids were coming to school wrapped in blankets. Her school doesn’t have a breakfast program either, so she takes in breakfast for them. Found out that out of the twenty-four kids in her class only five of them get enough food in the morning that they do not feel hungry.”

“Oh my word,” Ducky’s eyes filled with tears. “I have a friend that is a pediatrician in that area of town, I could speak with him to see if he could perhaps offer a free clinic while we gather donations for her school.”  
“Gentleman,” Vance stood with confidence. “Let’s adopt a school.”

“Want to meet her?” Tony was willing to take the chance so that these three generous men could explain their gift to Ashley.

“Yes,” Vance thought about it for a moment. “What about a cook out, at my house?”

“I’ll bring the beer,” Gibbs snorted. 

“I’ll bring the wine, fruit salad and veggie tray.” Ducky offered.

“Breena and I could bring a potato dish or the chips and dip depending on what we are having.” Palmer didn’t really want to ask, but he needed to know. “What are we having?”

“Surf and turf, gentleman. My house on Friday night, we will eat at 7 p.m..” Vance made his way out of autopsy. 

“I need to go rescue the trio,” Tony sighed. “See you in the bullpen.”

Tony felt lighter, he couldn’t explain it but he did. With Ducky, Palmer and Director Vance on his side, they could weather the storms of the team. “Hey,” Tony was greeted by a smiling Ashley. 

“I missed you so much,” Ashley kissed Tony hard. “We’re meeting Jethro at the house, I invited him along.”

“Good,” Tony laughed. “I have no idea what I am looking at on some things, he will be a very valuable addition to the tour.”

Tony’s gut churned as they toured the house, he couldn’t place what was wrong and he could tell by Ashley’s face, she was rather disappointed. “Something isn’t feeling right,” Tony whispered to Gibbs and Ashley.

“I smell,” Ashley sneezed. “Mold, I swear it smells like mold in that back bathroom and those two bedrooms upstairs.”

Gibbs started back up the stairs, he had smelled something too. Peeling back the corner of the carpet in the smaller bedroom – the answer to their smell. “Yeah that’s mold.”

“Oh, my word,” the agent gasped. “Out, everyone out. I have a home that has been vacant for a week, about two miles from here. The owner went into Assisted Living, it’s a ranch though.”

“I would actually prefer everything on one floor,” Ashley turned to Tony. “Are you okay with that?”

“I am,” Tony laughed. “As we get older, I think it would be wise for us to be on one floor. I am hoping this is our forever home.”

“Let’s go!” Grabbing Tony and Gibbs by the hand, the very excited teacher pretty much dragged them to the car. 

“Tony,” Gibbs commented as they pulled into the driveway behind the agent. “This is beautiful. That’s vinyl siding, a pressure washer will keep that cleaned up for you. The landscaping is quality, this man took pride in the aesthetics.”

Making their way inside, Ashley’s face lit up at the size of the living room with a formal dining room off to the side. “Could we put doors on that?”

“It’s doable,” Gibbs studied the framework. “What were you thinking?”

“I was thinking that could double as an office for me. I would lay out my projects on our dining table, but I would want to hide the mess. I love eat in kitchens so I think if it’s a small amount of people we could just in eat in there.” Ashley sighed with love and she entered the kitchen. “What a gorgeous kitchen.”

“I know,” Tony looked at the pot rack over the island. “He even had a pot filler added. This man knew quality.” 

“Do we put our everyday stuff on that?” Ashley sighed, it sucked to be short.

“I actually think we will take it down,” Tony studied the ceiling. “We can repair that easily, right boss?”

“You can,” Gibbs nodded. “I can see your point on wanting to remove it, it’s a dust collector.”

“We could gut this pantry and make this wall pots, pans and small appliances the other two walls could be food.” Gibbs suggested.

“Look at this laundry room!” Ashley took in the location of drains and things. “Could we put a shower in here? This thing is huge! We could come in from outside, into here shower off any serious dirt so we don’t drag it through the house.”

“Got the drain and slope to the floor for that,” Gibbs stepped further into the laundry room. “Actually, he did the same thing, but someone removed the shower head.”

“This bedroom,” Ashley yelled from down the hallway. “It’s so big. Sorry, I wandered off. Could that patio be extended so that we can change these big windows to doors? Wait, is that doable?”

“It’s doable,” Gibbs laughed. “Both are doable.”

“These bedrooms are nice size too,” Tony commented as he looked. “Let’s go to the basement.”

“Finished,” Gibbs looked at the craftsmanship. “Quality work too. You have another bedroom down here, storage and a family area.”

“We could turn that into my office,” Tony commented. “It’s bright since it’s a walkout basement. I love this house.”

“We should make an offer,” Ashley sighed. “Okay, I know that I can get this amount for my house.”

“My condo would sell for this amount easily.” Tony added in his figures. 

“The renovations that you are talking about,” Gibbs hit the minus sign and entered a number. “You don’t want to offer that amount for this house, that’s too much. 

“Agent DiNozzo,” Marsha stepped up next to the couple. “I looked up condos in your area, you could actually get this for your condo.”

“Are you sure?” Tony swallowed hard. “That’s half again as much as I thought.”

“I am sure, if you want this house and can sell both your homes. I do think you could get it without having to do a mortgage.” Marsha stepped back.

“Let’s put in an offer,” Ashley sighed. “Contingent on our properties selling.”

“I’m in,” Tony smiled with complete joy and contentment. “Feels right.”


	3. Chapter 3

“Tony, is this your condo on the interoffice bulletin board?” Tim questioned with a great deal of curiosity. “Why are you selling it?”

“Need to know,” Tony replied. “You don’t need to know. I want the reports on your cold cases in twenty minutes, including the files.”

“Why are we on cold cases?” Bishop complained with a groan. “We’ve been stuck in this office for two days.”

“That is because you have too much time on the books,” Vance replied. “Other teams are complaining because every time they turn around the cases are being handed to your team instead of the next team up. Agent DiNozzo, I would like a word with you.”

“You’re in trouble! I didn’t think putting your condo on the interoffice message board was a good thing,” Torres snickered.

“If you will look at who posted it, Agent Torres, you will see that it was me. Agent DiNozzo filed the proper form for it to be listed.” Vance motioned for Tony to follow him. “I was thinking that we bring Jack in on the adopt Ashley’s school. There may be some services that she or even perhaps, Dr. Grace would know of that could help too.”

“I wouldn’t mind,” Tony paused. “If we could invite her to dinner, that might help too. We were going to outnumber the ladies.”

“How about I give Dr. Grace a call too?” Vance offered. 

“Can we talk?” Tony felt relief when Vance motioned for him to follow. “Ashley’s protective,” Tony explained. “I didn’t know it until she met Gibbs, but I talk in my sleep. She was able to string things together from five months of dreams.”

“Oh boy,” Vance blew out a breath. “How much does she hate me?”

“I don’t know,” Tony shrugged. “You were an ass to me in the beginning, but I don’t know how much of that I internalized and how much I just chose to rise to the challenge and prove you wrong.”

“Agent DiNozzo,” Vance stopped, he wasn’t sure what to say because if he was being honest, in the beginning he hated Tony. It took him a while to see what a value he was as an agent and a person.

“Director,” Tony put a hand up. “I wasn’t being disrespectful, it made me a stronger agent. I rose to the challenge to show you that I wasn’t the untrustworthy frat boy, that you thought I was. I love this job, I love NCIS. I just had to find a way to show you that I did.”

“Would she view the presence of Dr. Confalone and Jack as intrusive?” Vance sighed, this was a thin line to walk and now he was wondering if he should not have gotten involved.

“I don’t think it is necessary to introduce them as anyone but Grace and Jack,” Tony sighed. “I don’t want her to think that I asked for them to be there so help her through any issues. She had a rough childhood.”

“So, did you,” Vance whispered.  
Vance greeted Tony and Ashley at the door with a warm smile. “We brought a cheesecake, three flavors of cookies, two pies and banana bread.” Ashley gave a nervous giggle. “I love to bake. I tend to bake a lot when I am nervous, so I have been baking all day.”

“You didn’t work today?” Vance was worried that the woman’s nerves caused her to miss a day of work.

“It was half a day,” Ashley explained. “We have those once a month, never made sense to me why we even come in that day.”

“Let’s put these in the kitchen,” Leon took two of the containers from Tony to help carry this load. “These smell amazing, I think I will sample.”

“Ashley,” Tony laughed. “Meet NCIS Director Leon “the sweet tooth” Vance.”

“Nice to meet you, Leon.” Ashley glanced around the home. “Beautiful home, your wife’s loving touch is so present in the décor. You can tell that she had a beautiful spirit.”

“Thank you,” Vance was choked up, Ashley was a beautiful spirit. He wasn’t sure what he has expected, but it wasn’t this.

“Hey,” Gibbs leaned down to kiss his new friend on the cheek. “Thought I heard your voice. How’s my little girlfriend?”

“Oh,” Ashley reached into her purse. “She drew this for you, told me to bring her your answer. She’s head over heels in love with you.”

Opening the piece of paper, Gibbs smiled at what he could only assume was him holding a flower and what he was suspecting may be a puppy. “If she is asking for a puppy, I don’t think that is a good idea.” Gibbs laughed. “I can do the flower and I will be her boyfriend.”

“How old is your new lady?” Vance teased lightly.

“She’s five,” Gibbs snorted. “Best girlfriend I have had in years.”

“We let ourselves in,” Jack made her way into the kitchen carrying two casserole dishes. “I carried both, Grace hurt her wrist and I didn’t want to risk her dropping hers.”

“How’d you get hurt?” Ashley watched as Grace protectively cradled her wrist to her chest. “It seems to be painful.”

“Playing basketball,” Grace said cautiously. “Tried to block the shot, but I’m a bit short.”

“Here,” pulling the scarf from around her neck, Ashley tied it off to be a sling. “Did you get it checked out?”

“I did,” Grace sighed. “Told me they would get me a soft brace to support it, that I could pick it up tomorrow. This will help, my shoulder is getting tired. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Stopping to think, Ashley turned on her heels and held out her hand. “Car keys.”

“I’ll just drive,” Tony looked down at Ashley. “Ok, we’ll be right back.”

“We will,” Ashley nodded. “I promise, I just need to go get something. Give up twenty minutes, I promise.”

“Where are we going?” Tony questioned as he started the car.

“That drug store that I saw around the corner,” Ashley hopped out of the car with Tony hot on her heels. “When I was in college, I used to have the worst wrist pain from all the papers I was writing. One day, I went into a drug store to buy an ace wrap and found these.” Pulling a brace from the shelf, Ashley read the back of the box. “Ok, it has the metal piece in it, this will help her. When your wrist hurts, your life is off kilter because you are trying so hard not to move it. It’s exhausting because every move has to be deliberate.”

“This is so nice of you,” Tony felt relief, Ashley evidently liked Grace and was willing to go out of her way to help her. “Ash, I need to tell you something about Grace.”

“She’s Dr. Grace Confalone,” Ashley looked up at Tony. “I know Tony, she’s the psychiatrist that Gibbs sees; I have heard you talking to her before. You don’t have to hide this from me, I’m not going to think you brought her in to deal with my parent issues.”

“Well, I guess you should also know that Jack,” Tony took a deep breath not sure what Ashley was going to think. “Jack is a Forensic Psychologist.”

“Wow,” Ashley laughed. “Guess it’s a good thing that I don’t like to wear hats, they might not fit after tonight.” 

“I’m sorry,” Tony felt horrible all of a sudden.

“Don’t worry about it,” Ashley moved down the aisles. “Can you call her and see if she needs a pain reliever?”

“Grace,” Tony spoke softly into the phone. “We’re at the drug store around the corner, do you need something for pain? Ibuprofen got it. We will be back in about ten minutes.”

“We’re back,” Tony announced as they walked through the door. “My beautiful lady had an idea to help you, Grace.” Pulling the brace from the bag, Tony handed it to Ashley to unbox.

“I wore one of these in college,” Ashley sighed. “Between term paper typing and playing softball, I was always in pain. There are two bottles of Ibuprofen, I am sure that you know how to dose to prescription strength level.”

“You know?” Grace sighed with relief as Ashley pulled the final strap secure.

“That you are Dr. Grace Confalone, therapist extraordinaire? I do.” Ashley scooted back. “It doesn’t bother me.”

“This feels better,” Grace pulled Ashley into a half hug. “Thank you so much. I’m starving.”

“Director,” Tony pushed himself back from the table. “That was delicious. Thank you for putting this together.”

“Well, it’s for a good reason.” Turning to Ashley, Vance smiled. “Every person you see at this table is a friend. As your friends, we have decided that we want to adopt your school. I spoke with Secretary Porter, she agrees. You school will be one of the establishments that NCIS will support with the coat drive and toys for Tots collection.”

“In addition to that,” Ducky winked. “We will be collecting things all during the year to donate to your classroom. After giving it some thought, Mr. Palmer and I decided that we would collect the donations in his office from the 2nd of the month to the 26th of the month. After that, they will all be sanitized and delivered to your school. Which should happen between the 28th and 1st of the following month.”

“Over the summer,” Palmer smiled. “We will keep them stored in the empty supply room, when it’s time for you to go get up your classrooms,” we will bring our donations.”

“We just need a list from you,” Jack smiled. “Things that the children go through so quickly in the elementary schools.”

“Also, we would like to start a fund,” Grace interjected. “That way you have money to use to buy things they need like shoes or something that the family is unable to provide.”  
“I talked with Cal,” Gibbs took a deep breath. “He is going to allow us to purchase food, at cost, on the store’s account to provide breakfasts for your children.”

“Gibbs,” Ashley’s eyes filled with tears. “You’re going to save me so much money. All of you, I am blown away. You have no idea how much of a difference you are going to make in the lives of these children. We have one portion of town that is so poverty stricken, they have nothing.”

“Dad,” Kayla stepped into the room. “I was wondering if my economics class could help too?”

“We’ll talk,” Ashley smiled at the young woman that popped out of the back of the house. “Are you hungry? There is a lot of food left over.”

“I ate on my way home,” Kayla peeked into the kitchen. “I will raid all the goodies you brought; my brain needs sugar to study.”

“Oh my,” Ashley yawned. “It’s midnight, already. We better get going, I’ve been up since 5 a.m., it’s way past my bedtime. Thank you so much for everything! I look forward to seeing all of you again soon.”

“Thank you everyone,” Tony looked everyone of his friends in the eye. “This meant a lot to us. I appreciate everything you’ve proposed to do, and what you’ve done.”

“I’m so tired,” Ashley groaned as she walked through the door. “Let’s go to bed. To sleep, no nookie tonight – way too tired.”

Tony slept without a single nightmare that night, allowing Ashley to have a peaceful sleep too. “Good Morning,” Tony yawned and stretched. “You opposed to skipping our run?”

“Only if you will eat ice cream and cold pizza for breakfast with me,” Ashley stood and stretched before pulling her long brown hair into a ponytail. “I’m wiped out, this past week was a lot. Your phone is lighting up, remember you are off rotation this weekend and you are mine.”

“Hello?” Tony mumbled into the phone. “Where? Thank you.”

“Who was that?” Yelling from the bathroom, Ashley became concerned when Tony didn’t answer back. “Tony?”

“Grace dropped off breakfast,” Tony pointed to the kitchen counter. “Her husband helped, there is a card. Tony and Ashley, thank you so much for the brace it is helping so much. Most of all, thank you for the acceptance and night of fun. Good friends should cherish those times. Love, Grace.”

“She is so sweet,” Ashley looked down at her phone. “I got a text that someone wants to see the house tomorrow afternoon.”

“That’s awesome, guess our ice cream and pizza will have to wait until we tidy up a bit.” Tony laughed as Ashley started to pout. “Let’s eat what Grace brought us, ice cream and pizza is lunch.”

Note: Give me some input: Who should look at the house? Who do you want to see in Tony’s place?


	4. Chapter 4

“Tony,” Stan stood shocked to see his friend on the other side of the door. “This is your house?”

“It belongs to the amazing woman that I have been dating for the last fourteen months.” Tony explained. “This is Ashley. Ashley, this is Stan and I do believe this lovely lady is Brooke.”

“I am,” Brooke snuggled closely to Stan’s side. “I love the outside of the house and the neighborhood. It’s so quiet here.”

“Here is the flyer on the house,” Ashley handed one to each. “Please, come in. Let me show you around, then we will step out to let you explore on your own.”

“I’m hungry,” Ashley giggled. “I should have eaten instead of worry about the dishes.”

“Let’s make pancakes,” Tony pulled everything out to mix the batter. “Stan, Brooke, pancakes will be ready in twenty minutes.”

“Sounds great,” Stan called back. “What? I’m hungry.”

“You’re always hungry,” Brooke laughed. 

“Breakfast,” Tony yelled. “Grab coffee, tea, juice or milk and have a seat.” Flipping the last of the pancakes on the platter, Tony made his way to the table along with Ashley. “Dig in, we have just about everything you could top a pancake with.” 

“Pancakes are my guilty pleasure,” Ashley laughed. “Basically, it’s my comfort zone in cooking. I can bake, but cooking is not my forte until Tony.”

“Well,” Brooke laughed. “If you need tips, call me.”

“Stan, I know you’re an agent,” Ashley took a bite. “Brooke, what do you do?”

“Actually,” Brooke laughed. “You know the Snack Shack food trucks you see around D.C.? Those are mine.”

“I love your food,” Ashley laughed. “Your name is very deceiving; you make the best fried chicken sub that I have ever had. You have the absolute best bread, that I have ever tasted.”

“Fresh baked, daily.” Brooke laughed. “I actually have a space with a large kitchen to prep in, load the trucks and send them on their way. Everything is fresh, we don’t believe in doing it any other way.”

“You don’t have to sell me on it,” Ashley laughed. 

“She’s going to park one of her trucks on NCIS ground this week,” Stan winked. “I got permission from Director Vance, he admitted being a fan of her food after I asked.”

“Bishop just texted,” Tony sighed as he looked at his phone. “She wants to make me an offer on my place.”

“Didn’t do her homework on that area did she?” Stan snorted. “Even disclosing the history of your unit, it’s still worth more than she probably realizes.”

“She offered me about an eighth of what it was appraised at, murder history included.” Tony sighed. “This isn’t going to be pretty.”

“Why not have Ashley play realtor?” Brooke suggested. “I’m guessing that you are keeping your relationship private, just like we are. She won’t know her face at all.”

“I could do it,” Ashley laughed. “I was in drama club; I had the lead in the spring play four years. Tell her to meet me at your place at 1 p.m.”

“Speaking of offers,” Stan turned to Brooke, smiling when she nodded. “We’d like to offer you, your full listing price. We both have money saved up, we don’t have to get financed. We’re renting a place, so we can be flexible on a move in date if you need us to. We’ll give you twenty-five percent down.”

“We have a deal,” Ashley jumped up to hug her new friends. “I can put my stuff in storage, stay with Tony until his place sells if I need to. His kitchen is amazing to bake in.”

Ashley was primed and ready to play agent. Dressed in one of her power suits, she made her way around Tony’s condo soaking in the feel of the man she loved. Every inch of it was him and she wanted to memorize it so that she could make sure he felt the same comfort in their new home. Snapping a few pictures for ideas, she hurried to put her phone away when she heard the knock at the door.

“Ms. Bishop?’ Ashley extended a hand in greeting. “Nice to meet you. Please come in, look around. I can show you some of the amenities, if you are not already familiar with them.”

“I’ve seen them,” Bishop walked room to room. “I have worked a few cases from his dining room table with the team. Sometimes, we just have to get out of the office.”

“Hey Boss,” Tony greeted Gibbs at Ashley’s door. “Come in, I think you are going to appreciate this. Ashley is pretending to be an agent showing my place to Bishop.”

“You bugged your own home?” Gibbs snorted. “Smooth.”

“Oh yes,” Ashley nodded. “I did hear that he is one of NCIS’s finest agents.”

“Tony tell you that?” Bishop snorted. 

“No,” Ashley sighed. “It was..”

“Tell her I said it,” Gibbs whispered into the microphone.

“It was that silver haired fox with the blue eyes that stop time,” Ashley sighed. “Agent Gibbs.”

“She may still be a bit skeptical of you, but she’s got the hots for you.” Tony snorted. “Stay away from my woman, Gibbs.”

“Not a red head,” Gibbs teased.

“I am very interested in it, I made Tony an offer. Did he happen to say if he was willing to take that?” Bishop questioned as she opened the fridge and helped herself to a bottled water.

“I didn’t realize that you had Mr. DiNozzo’s permission to take his personal property,” Ashley shrugged. “First a bottle of water then the piano? Just kidding, my dear. Mr. DiNozzo forwarded me your offer of $125,000 firm. Yes, it says firm. Well, Ms. Bishop that wouldn’t buy a doghouse in this part of town, let alone a condo of this size and in this location.”

“A little snarky, aren’t we?” Bishop mumbled.

“Oh, Ms. Bishop, you have not experienced my snark. Now, I get paid from commissions. Your offer of $125,000 is a low-ball number. A unit this size, in this location would easily bring $1.5 million, but with the history of the unit, that depreciates the value to between $800,000 and $850,00. I know you feel that your offer is generous, but I know the reality of it. What you researched on the original sale of this unit, it’s not applicable today. So, unless you are ready to come up to a fair asking price, I think we are done.”

“I’m going to call Tony.” Bishop snapped.

“Well, you can do that from the hallway. I have another unit to show, please have Mr. DiNozzo contact me if he wishes to proceed with your offer.”

Ashley entered the code and locked Tony’s door, essentially pushing Bishop into the hallway to make her call. Waiting for the elevator, Ashley got to listen to a one-sided conversation that clearly did not sound like it was going in Eleanor’s favor.

“Ducky,” Ashley smiled as she entered the elevator. “What are you doing here?”

“Anthony said you would be here,” Ducky gave one of his loving smiles. “I was having a chat with the building owner; he assures me the elevators are up to code and working fine. I am going to have an inspection done, of course, but I gave Anthony an offer and he accepted.”

“Are you sure?” Ashley was concerned for her new friend.

“My dear,” Ducky winked. “I have more money that I can spend in three lifetimes between inheritances, sale of house, book royalties, teaching stipend, and my NCIS salary.”

“Want to adopt me?” Ashley laughed. “Agent Bishop is on the phone upstairs with Tony, she low-balled him and thinks I am being insane.”

“Anthony explained to me the role that you were portraying; I would be more than willing to walk back up with the listing agent.” Ducky winked. “I need to look at something under the piano. Anthony says that the blood from the crime scene wouldn’t come out, I wanted to see what I thought. I could even have the floors refinished to be able to open up that spot.”

After Ducky was finished making his mental notes, he took one final stride around the condo. “It’s so open and bright, I do believe I will be very happy here.”

“Why don’t you come back to my house and have lunch with us,” Ashley linked arms with Ducky. “I really enjoy your company, Ducky.”

“I enjoy yours,” Ducky winked. “Jethro, if you are listening, she’s on my arm, not yours.”

“Oh God,” Ashley gasped. “Was he there when I called him a …..” Sighing at the ringing of her phone. “Hello, please tell him that I am so sorry. I was so in character that I lost my mind for a moment.”

“Doesn’t have to apologize to me,” Gibbs snorted. “Now, she will have to apologize to my little girlfriend.”

“Pretty sure I would rather have to apologize to him.” Ashley laughed. “I’ll pick up a variety of food on my way home, there is a cheesecake in the fridge too.”

“Wow,” Tony met Ashley at the car. “You certainly went for variety. I need to tell you something before we go in. The agent called about the house; the family decided to keep it in the family.”

“So, we are essentially homeless now that your place and mine have sold?” Ashley sighed. “I want to move once, Tony. I don’t want to find a home that gets us by until we find our dream home and do it all over again.”

“I know,” Tony agreed. “I have some pretty heavy furniture; I don’t want to have it moved twice. Not to mention the unpacking and things that go with it. Stan and Brooke want out of the apartment, I am sure that Ducky could wait.”

“No,” grabbing the food from the car, Ashley headed for the house. “We’re going to hold up someone else because our deal fell through. There must be something else that we can find that will work for us. I will take a day off school; we’ll spend the whole day going house to house.”

“Okay,” Tony opened the door as he balanced two pizza boxes. “We’ll find a way to do this.”

“Hey,” Gibbs cornered Tony and Ashley in the entrance way. “What’s wrong? I saw your face when you read that email, Tony.”

“The house fell through,” Ashley whispered. “The family stepped in; said they don’t want to sell it.”

“Okay,” Gibbs sighed, his heart was breaking for his friends. “What if you put your things in storage and stay with me until you find something?”

“I don’t think that is a good idea,” Ashley sighed. “My school things could easily ruin your life. I work with a lot of glitter, sometimes I think that I am Poppy Troll, there is so much.”

“I don’t mind,” Gibbs looked almost disappointed. “How about this, set a date for Ducky to move in. If what you find is not ready by then, you come stay with me. You can take over the spare room downstairs.”

“The mystery door on the other side of the dining area?” Tony gasped. “Where no agent has gone before?”

“Only if we have to,” Ashley sighed. “I love that house; I cannot believe they did that.”

“We’ll find something,” Tony nodded at the boxes in their arms. “I’m hungry.”

“I have someone to take over my condo,” Ducky smiled. “Never been a landlord before. This shall be a new endeavor.”

“Ducky,” Tony pointed to the food on the counter. “Grab a plate and help yourself. I will be back.”

“Tony?” Ashley looked confused. “Where are you going? You are leaving me here alone, with your NCIS family?”

“I am leaving you here, alone, with our NCIS family. I will be back in an hour; I’m taking a piece of pizza for the road.” Having gathered the information from the agent, Tony made his way to the Assisted Living Facility where Thomas Van Brita lived. 

“Are you the young man that wants to purchase my home?” Thomas greeted Tony at the door. “I was hoping to meet you, I wanted to share the story of that beautiful place with you.”

“Yes, Sir.” Tony shook his new friend’s hand. “Mr. Van Brita, are you aware that your family stopped the sale of the house?”

“Bull shit,” turning on his heels, Thomas grabbed his cell phone. Making a quick phone call, he sat down with a huff. “That spoiled ass sister in law of mine says that she’s entitled to it for the years of torment I put her sister through.”

“Years of torment?” Tony motioned for permission to sit with Thomas.

“I fell in love with Lucy two weeks before I left for Vietnam,” Thomas explained. “I couldn’t get her off my mind for the duration of my service. I was there eight years, I finally couldn’t handle not being able to see my family so I got out after my second tour. I knew that she would have moved on by then, she was a twenty-six year old woman that was so beautiful. She had skin so smooth and soft, you would have though nothing in the world had ever touched her. Her eyes were green, like emeralds. She had a smile that could make your heart flip. I loved her more than anything in my life and if she had moved on, all I wanted to know was that she was happy.”

“What happened?” Tony was incredibly interested in the story of Thomas and Lucy.

“When I got off the train, I thought my mother would be there to greet me and she was, but Lucy was there also. She and my mother had become great friends while I was gone, to the point that Lucy moved in so she could make sure my mother was well looked after. She spent eight years being part of my family, being loved by every single one of them. She saved money so that we had a down payment on a house. Half the money that I sent home to my mother; she gave to Lucy for that dream.”

“This house,” Tony questioned softly. “Is it that house?”

“No, our first house was a small house. I think we could have found an apartment with more square footage, but we wanted to have something to show for the money. This house is our dream house,” Thomas chuckled before continuing. “We spent months drawing up those plans. Lucy would work on them after the kids went to bed, she wanted our next move to be our final move.”

“The shower in the laundry room is a very clever idea,” Tony watched as Tom’s face lit up. “You have children.”

“We have 4 beautiful children,” Tom reached behind him to grab a photo. “These are my babies, Lorelei, Lainey, Travis and Tristan. I have twelve grandbabies and my first great grandchild is due in three weeks, a little girl. They are going to name her Lucy after her great grandma.”

“That’s so special,” Tony smiled. “Your family is so beautiful. None of them want the house?”

“They all have homes of their own,” Thomas explained. “We have been to each of them, they have memories of us staying with them, BBQing in the backyard, playing with the kids. They don’t need my house to have their memories, they have their own.”

“Can I ask you about the window seat in the bedroom?” Tony watched the joy flicker across Tom’s face.

“I was the VP of manufacturing company, got my starting doing sales. I made a good living, so we poured every ounce of my commissions into our house building fund so that we could put those details in. Lainey was two when we moved into that home and from the time she was about a year, she loved to watch birds and squirrels outside the window and to be read to. It was my favorite thing to do with her after a long day at work. That is where we would go, crawl up there and just watch or read. After she was grown, her children would sit there with me watching for the deer to come into the yard or the birds to visit. There is a woodpecker that comes back to the same tree year after year.”

“My girlfriend is a school teacher,” Tony sighed. “Avid reader, she loves that window seat so much. She keeps talking about what it will be like someday to sit there with her feet up enjoying our baby growing in her belly.”

“You going to marry that young gal?” Tom watched a smile break out on Tony’s face.

“I’m planning on it, sir. I’m hatching a creative way to propose.” Tony gave it a moment. “Got a minute to weigh in on my idea?”

“I have all the time in the world, young man.” Settling in, Tom listened as Tony started laying out his idea on how to woo his lady’s hand. “You’re creative, my Lucy would have loved you. Enjoy the house, Tony. Promise me, you will take good care of her."

"I promise," Tony extended a hand in friendship. "In fact, I think we'll have you for dinner some time to show you."

"Don't tease an old man," Tom's tone was light, he knew in his soul that he would see his precious home and his new friend again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What creative way would you like to see Tony propose? I already something sweet in mind, but that doesn't mean I can't work ideas into it! Talk to me!!
> 
> Stay safe everyone!! I hope you are all healthy. If you need prayers, just let us know I have prayer warriors standing by!!


	5. Chapter 5

To set up this chapter: Pretend that Tony never left the team. Torres and Jack are at NCIS and everything that has happened on the show, happened with Tony to witness. Ex: Emily Fornell's overdose and drug abuse. 

***************************Saturday***************************  
“Which pile is which?” Tony asked as he carried out a lamp that had been declared trash.

“Trash is on the blue side; treasures are on the red side.” Ashley pointed to the tarps on her garage floor. “I still cannot believe that you were able to talk to the owner.”

“Excuse me,” a quiet voice came from the driveway. “I’m Lorelei Van Brita-Martinec. You are buying my father’s house.”

“Hi,” Ashley’s heart was beating in her ears, her mouth so dry. “Please, come in. Ignore the mess, I sold my house and we are trying to organize so the new owners can be in for Christmas, we are going to stay at Tony’s place while we close the deal with your father’s house.”

“I wanted to thank you for reaching out to him,” Lorelei wiped a tear. “That house has meant so much to us, to him. Letting it go is the third hardest thing we have been through in our lives. Losing mom was first, moving dad to the assisted living was second. We wanted him to live with us, we did not like him being alone all the time. He wanted this; it broke our hearts.”

“He’s doing very well,” Tony laughed. “I played cards with his friends when I was there. They cleaned me out of $20. He is not lonely anymore; it is what he said to me. There is still a void there, that only your mother could fill, but he’s not lonely.”

“Lorelei,” Ashley placed a glass of water in front of her guest. “Tony and I were talking since he met your father; we want to have him over to the house after we move in for lunch. Get him out of there, let him see that the home he loves is `

“I love that,” Lorelei sobbed. “Thank you. He asked me to bring you the keys, he says you are good people and the paperwork and money are just formalities. He is dealing with my aunt right now, but that will not stop the sale of the house. She thinks she is a lawyer; she is just a pain in the ass that works for a lawyer. Here is my card if you need anything call me. If you steal my dad away, just Know that he likes black licorice; his favorite cake is pineapple upside down cake and his favorite creamer for his coffee is anything with flavor to it.”

“Noted,” Tony laughed. “I love this man. I will have to share my Hershey Chocolate Caramel creamer with him.”

“He would love that,” Lorelei laughed. “He’s got a sweet tooth. I have taken up enough of your time; there are the keys. I will be in touch.”

“Don’t go,” Tony ran made his way down the hallway, returning thirty seconds later. “I have an idea; I think we should consider the fact that your aunt is going to be an ongoing issue. She could use your father’s generosity against him. Here is a check, it’s the first month’s rent. We will rent to own until we can clear the sale. What do you think?”

“I think that you are more devious than I am,” Lorelei laughed. “This really could work. I will put it in an account of it’s own, that way we can keep track and keep it separate. We will call this first, last and security deposit.”

“I feel better about having the keys now,” Ashley blew out a breath. “I don’t want to cause him any issues. I want to meet him, we’ll got see him one night this coming week, take him some dinner.”

“He will love that,” Lorelei shook her head in disbelief. “You have no idea how grateful I am that it is you that is taking our home, it’s good to know that there is so much love and compassion that will continue to live in those walls.” Lorelei left with a smile on her lips, her stomach finally unclenching for the first time since her aunt started causing issues for her dad.

“Well,” Tony smiled. “We have the house, let’s go see it.”

“A relaxing walk through it will be nice, we can take notes. I think we should put an alarm system in tomorrow. I do not trust the sister in law.” Ashley pulled on her jacket.

“I am not very fond of this color,” Tony sighed as he looked at the red walls in the dining room. “It’s so dark.”

“I agree,” Ashley made her way into the master bedroom. “I hate this pattern on the window seat cushion, it’s loud.”

“I agree, Buckeye.” Brad’s voice filtered from behind them. “Good to see you, Tony. I saw you getting out of the car, I waited until I was fairly certain you wouldn’t draw your weapon on me.”

“Brad,” Tony pulled his friend into a hug. “This is Ashley. Ashley, this is Dr. Brad Pitt.”

“The man that saved Tony’s life,” Ashley pulled Brad into a hug of her own. “Thank you for saving him and for being his friend. He talks about you all the time. You live close by?”

“I live A couple streets over,” Brad explained. “I am up and down this road all the time, it’s the smoothest way to our road. I can tell you that whatever you do, hang out in your backyard. The eyeballs in this neighborhood are everywhere. We had to put a lock on the gate to our fence. The guy down the road invited himself for dinner one day when we were grilling.”

“Oh my,” Ashley laughed. “I am pretty certain; I would have flipped out.”

“My wife did,” Brad laughed. “It’s otherwise a good neighborhood. The crime rate is low, everyone looks out for everyone, as you can imagine. Taxes won’t kill your bank account and our utilities are very low compared to other parts of the county. We moved here about five years ago, we wanted out of the Bethesda area. It was getting hard to get ahead.”

“We better get going,” Tony sighed. “We have plans for dinner with Jimmy and his wife Breena.”

“I’m surprised that you finally shared this lovely lady with your team,” Brad watched at Tony and Ashley exchanged a look.

“I have met, by my choice, Jimmy, Ducky, Director Vance, Gibbs, Jack and Grace. I have no desire, right now, to meet the others. I do not think it would be a very healthy relationship.”

“Don’t blame you,” Brad snorted. “I have met them. Listen, call me if you need anything. I will see you both around the neighborhood. When you move in, let me know. We’ll bring you dinner, so you don’t have to worry about unpacking your kitchen day one.”

“We don’t have dinner plans with Jimmy,” Ashley commented as Brad drove away.

“I know,” Tony laughed. “I was thinking about dropping by Gibbs’s house with a pizza though. You up for that?”

“I am,” Ashley jumped in the driver’s seat. “We’re not getting pizza, let it to me.”

Gibbs heard the footsteps, then the familiar laugh of his Senior Field Agent. “What are you two,” Gibbs stomach growled at the smell of the food his friends were carrying in. “That smells amazing.”

“I found a place over on main,” Ashley started to explain. “That makes the most amazing barbeque ribs, fried chicken, baked beans, potato wedges and baked pineapple along with the most amazing brownie bottom, cherry cheesecake that you will ever taste.”

“Am I going to get to taste it?” Gibbs questioned as he pulled down plates from the cupboard.

“I do not just say the word cheesecake,” Ashley laughed. “I deliver, cheesecake.”

“Those potatoes,” Gibbs spooned a heap onto his plate. “You have to show me where this place is. This food is incredible.”

“You should see inside the place,” Tony laughed. “It’s looks like you are having an indoor picnic. We ate there once, jokingly complained about no ants at my picnic.”

“The waitress came back, place a plastic ant on the table and walked way. We laughed so hard.” Ashley continued. “Let’s have a seat, eat in comfort.”

“I bet we have room on the table for all of this,” Tony studied. “Oh, yeah. Less walking for our multiple trip refills. Cheesecake can stay in the fridge until we are ready.”

“If we have room,” Ashley laughed. 

“Gibbs,” Tobias yelled as he walked in the door. “Oh, DiNutso. Didn’t realize I was interrupting a meal. Care to invite me?”

“Nope,” Ashley slammed the lids shut. “You seem to lack manners, consideration and good fashion sense. Until you learn his name and treat him like you would want to be treated, I will not invite you to eat anything that we purchased with our hard-earned money.”

“Tobias,” Gibbs looked up from his ribs. “What do you want?”

“Um,” Fornell was befuddled. “I came to ask for your help with Emily’s birthday present. I was thinking a car.”

“Think smaller,” Gibbs commented. “She’s been through a lot; a grand gesture is not something she can live up to right now. Get her the iPad she asked for, she can use it for school too.”

“Okay,” Fornell turned on his heels. “Tony, your lady has fire, she’s a keeper.”

“Mr. Fornell,” Ashley watched the facial expression of the man as he turned towards her. “Grab a plate, I will help you pick out a case for your daughter’s iPad. I just need to know a little more about her.”

“This is good,” Tobias commented around a bite. “How’d you score catering service like this, Gibbs?”

“Not sure,” Gibbs looked to Tony. “Everything okay?”

“It is,” Tony nodded. “We wanted to have dinner with you again.”

“I wanted to have another chance to get to know you better. You are an important part of Tony’s life, and he is my world. I figured I needed to get past my issues with your team and get to know you.” Ashley watched with worry until she got a satisfied nod from Gibbs. “For the record, if we don’t touch that cheesecake it goes home with me.”

“You just wanted a good excuse to eat at Urban Remedy tonight,” Tony laughed. “We talked about going to Nim Con Soup, but I heard that today’s special was Chicken Lysol Soup cooked under ultraviolet lights.”

“Glad you got this instead,” Fornell continued to chew. “Wait, what?”

“Not watched much TV lately, I take it.” Gibbs snorted. “You’ll figure it out when you come up for air from you PI business. I think I have enough room for cheesecake now.”

“You’re going to want to sleep after this,” Tony laughed. 

“Oh boy,” Gibbs savored his first bite. “That is amazing. I really need to check this place out.”

“So,” Tobias sighed as he pushed himself away from the table. “When do we do this again?”

“About that,” Ashley sighed. “Tobias, I have no desire to meet the rest of their team. We have decided, mutually, that we do not want or need their unkind comments and judgement to come between us. I’d appreciate it if you would honor that.”

“Never cared for the lot myself,” Tobias shrugged. “Never gave him half a chance, I guess. This was enjoyable, Tony. Thank you for the meal, the company and the second chance.”

“You’re welcome,” Tony nodded. “Here is the number of a lady that we used to get my dad’s cake for his birthday. It was the most amazing cake we have ever had. She does such a variety, if you look her up on Facebook, you can see her work and flavors.”

“We’re going to go,” Ashley gathered her things. “I put the leftovers in the fridge for you. That should give you meals for a few days. It was good to see you, Jethro.”

“Thank you,” Gibbs leaned in so that he could kiss Ashley’s cheek. “I’ll see you soon.”

************************Monday****************************

“You pick up another cheesecake on your way home?” Gibbs questioned softly as he and Tony bagged evidence at their current crime scene.

“Cheesecake, brownies, and the biggest peanut butter M&M cookies that you have ever seen.” Tony laughed. “We got an order of chicken and those amazing potatoes for yesterday. We’ve been cleaning and packing. We want to get Stan in there as soon as possible.”

“Let me guess,” Gibbs snorted. “Ashley wants him in for Christmas?”

“Give the man a prize,” Tony joked. “I’d like to see us in our house by then too, but with what we want to do, I don’t see that happening. The fumes and dust will be hell on my lungs, even with Brad about a mile away. He stopped when we were at the house Saturday. He cuts down our road, seems it’s the smoothest in that development.”

“Might be a rough run if the roads are torn up,” Gibbs shrugged. “I’m sure you’ll make do though.”

“Anthony,” Ducky made his way into the house. “I had my banker wire the money into your account. We can sign the paperwork when you have a few moments. I am looking forward of being out of my dungeon of a condo and into something bring and so open. The movers are already wrapping my things. I found someone that can redo the floor to match the boards that will need replaced.”

“I will get my lawyer to draw up the paperwork,” Tony commented. “I will let you know as soon as possible. We are packing up Ashley’s place first, I will start packing my things as soon as I can.”

“You can stay with me,” Gibbs said softly. “This isn’t going like you planned, but I want you to know that my door is open, Tony.”

“Agent DiNozzo,” Vance called out as he hurried into the crime scene. “I need you to come with me, right now.”

“Leon?” Gibbs stopped his boss. “Is it Ashley?”

“She was walking to her car to run an errand at lunch,” Vance explained. “Witnesses say that there were two teenagers in the parking lot fighting, she turned to walk away to get help and when she did, they grabbed her and another teacher that was doing the same.”

“I’ll drive,” Gibbs looked at Vance. “Where?”

“They took them to the empty building across the street from where she parks.” Vance grabbed the key from Gibbs. “McGee, you are in charge of this crime scene. I am taking these two with me.”

“What the hell,” Torres growled. 

“Can it,” McGee snapped. “Ducky? Was Tony crying?”

“Yes, he was.” Ducky sighed. “Don’t ask questions, Timothy. It’s none of our business. Excuse me while I make a phone call. Jack, I do believe your services are going to be needed.” Giving Jack the details, Ducky prayed that the agent in the three men would kick in to rescue their beloved.


	6. Chapter 6

Ashley took a deep breath; she was going to do every single thing that Tony ever told her. They had practiced exactly what she needed to do in case of an active shooter situation. They went through scenarios of if she was with the kids or if she was alone. Now, she was not exactly alone, but she hoped her friend would follow her lead.

“What are you thinking?” Stephanie questioned softly. 

“I’m thinking we don’t react,” Ashley sighed. “Keep them calm so I can think, I have to think about what Tony would do; what he would expect me to see to get us out of this.”

“Stop talking,” the blonde-haired teen snapped. “I can’t think if you are talking.”

“Could I see if there is a bathroom?” Ashley feigned urgency. “If I wet my pants, it’s going to start smelling awful in here.”

“Yeah,” Blondie nodded. “Take her with you. I need to think.”

“Okay,” Ashley pointed to the back door. “It’s locked, he will hear us if we mess with it. He may be a kid, but he’s a strung out kid with a gun.”

“Do you think they will call Tony?” Stephanie questioned. “He would be able to get us out of here.”

“I hope so,” Ashley sighed. “We need to act like we are really trying to find a bathroom.” Opening a door that was the bathroom, Ashley sighed. “I have a closet bigger than this. Geesh!” 

“Why isn’t anyone out there looking for us?” Blondie yelled. “Where are the police?”

“It’s probably going to take a while,” Stephanie looked at Ashley for help. “They wouldn’t notice we are gone until our class comes back from lunch and we aren’t there.”

“Good job,” Ashley mouthed. “That window is low, look and see what is under it.”

“Nothing,” Stephanie whispered. “I’ll go first, you come right behind me. Hurry.”

Stephanie bit back and yelp as she landed on the ground, turning around to help Ashley down. She needed to do everything she could to help the woman that pretty much saved her life. “Where now?”

“We can’t go that way,” Ashley sighed. “He’s watching, we have to get out of sight. This way, there is a road over there.” Pulling Stephanie behind a fence, give me a minute, I need to think.

“Wish we had a phone,” Stephanie whispered. “We could call Tony.”

“We have to get under cover,” Ashley sighed. “If he realizes we are gone and comes looking for us, or that other kid is watching what is going on.”

“I have been watching,” a young man with a bloody nose and bruises forming on his face. “Come with me, he’s strung out on drugs. Listen, don’t be afraid of me. He beat up my sister, he tried to rape her. I was just making sure he never touches her again. I’m not going to hurt you.”

“You weren’t trying to take us,” Stephanie sighed. “You were pulling me away, until he produced a gun.”

“I ran and called the police,” sighing the teen scanned their surroundings. “Let’s see if that house is unlocked. He will look for a garage or a shed.”

“I’m Ashley, this is Stephanie. What’s your name?” Ashley questioned softly as they crossed the side street. 

“Jeremiah,” trying the back door, Jeremiah resorted to knocking. “Sir, I am so sorry to bother you. These are the ladies that were grabbed at the corner, we need a place to hide until the police get here.”

“Come in,” Mr. Myer smiled. “My granddaughter is in Ms. Ashley’s class. She loves you. Your boyfriend is an officer, isn’t he? Call him, dear.”

“Tony,” Ashley cried into the phone. “We got out of where he was holding us. You know the house with the mailbox that you love? That’s where we are at. Mr. Myer let us in.”

“Turn left there,” Tony pointed to a road they were approaching. “Ashley got out, I know where she is and we definitely want to go around the police. “Park on this street, we can go through that yard, it’s an abandoned house.”

“Why do you know this area so well?” Vance questioned as he got out of the car and pulled his weapon.

“One of the first graders ran away last month, Ashley and I helped search for him. He was on the playground, but I was in and out of all the abandoned houses on these roads.”

“Which house?” Gibbs questioned softly.

“Blue with the raised flower beds at the side,” Tony pointed. Looking up, he felt relief wash over him as Ashley’s face appeared in the window. “There she is,” take cover. Tony stepped behind a large tree, watching the gun toting teen walking the street calling out to Ashley and Stephanie.

“How the hell did he get past the local Leos?” Vance growled. “Probably the same way the ladies did, never mind.”

“Leon,” Gibbs called over his shoulder. “Cover the back door,” moving around the far side of the house, Gibbs made his way towards the front. “No blood shed where this man has to see it every day,” Jethro reminded himself.

“NCIS,” Tony yelled to the kid with the gun. “Drop your weapon, get on the ground and lace your fingers together behind your head, NOW.”

“You’re going to have to take me out,” the yell from the teen contained no emotion, not one iota of care.

“No,” Tony snapped. “I will not give you the option of getting out of this so easily. On the ground.”

“I guess that you didn’t hear my friend,” Stan’s voice rang out as he tackled the gunman. “He said on the ground with your fingers laced behind your head. You’re under arrest. Give me your cuffs,” Stan took the cuffs from one of the LEOs. “Get this piece of filth out of my sight.”

“How did you know to come?” Tony shook Stan’s hand. “Thank you.”

“Sloan called me,” Stan explained. “She knows that we are buying Ashley’s house and that we consider you two friends. After you told me about the dinner with her, I talked to her in the elevator the next day. Figured if she wanted to chat about helping with the kids, I would be safe.”

“Hey,” Tony caught his lady as she flew into his arms. “It’s over.”

“I know,” Ashley kissed Tony hard. “Jethro and Leon entered the house, I got scared when you weren’t with them, but I saw Stan creeping up and I thought I saw Jack too.”

“You did,” Jack came from where she was covering her friends. “You’re one of us now, remember that. Let’s get you and the other young lady home.”

“Wait,” Ashley looked towards the house. “Could you help me with something?” Explaining the situation with Jeremiah, Ashley stepped back to allow her new friends to help this young man. 

“He tried to pull us away,” Stephanie interjected as the agents started to work through this story. 

“Let’s go talk to the local police,” Jack extended a hand to Jeremiah. “You did not come to the fight armed, you called the police to get help, and you helped get Ashley and Stephanie to safety.”

“You have a lot working in your favor,” Vance interjected. “A school yard fight is not something that usually lands someone in jail. Will your sister cooperated your story?”

“She will,” Jeremiah sighed. “She’s in the hospital; the hospital called the police but it had been twelve hours and they had not shown up.”

“That’s what made you take matters into your own hands?” Jack questioned. “Lack of support from law enforcement?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Jeremiah sighed. “I can’t go to jail, my family counts on the income from my two part time jobs. I should have controlled my anger, but she’s my sister.”

“Let’s go,” Jack nodded towards the door. 

“Mr. Myer,” Ashley pulled the older man into a hug. “I can’t thank you enough. You were a life saver, literally.”

“I was repaying my little Alaina’s teacher for the gift she has given us.” Mr. Meyer wiped at a tear. “The experts told my daughter that Alaina would never be able to learn, they told her that her development would be years behind the other children. You have her reading, Ms. Ashley. We were ready to settle for potty training success and coloring outside the lines. She reads books now; we got her a library card and I buy her a book at the store every month. Her voice is like an angel, she reads.”

“I don’t give up on my children,” Ashley hugged the elder man again. “Ask her to write her name for you.”

“Are you ready to go?” Tony questioned softly, he really wanted to get home with his precious lady. Thinking about the day, he paused. “We need to find your keys and purse. Where were you headed at lunch?”

“Drugstore,” the replay came quick, the lady at his side almost shrinking at the admission. “Can we stop at the grocery store on the way home? I have a taste for tacos; we need ice cream and nachos too.”

“Let’s go,” Tony extended a hand to Mr. Myer. “Sir, you have my extreme gratitude. If you ever need help, here is my card. Please call me.”

Walking through the store, Tony watched with amusement as Ashley picked her way through a variety of foods that weren’t something they typically purchased. “How about some fruits and veggies?” Tony pointed at the produce. 

“Go ahead, I am going to get us one of those cakes with the coconuts on it.” Moving towards the bakery, Ashley didn’t see the light bulb go off in Tony’s head. 

“Oh God,” Tony took a deep breath. “Okay, we can do this.”

“Doesn’t this look amazing?” Ashley placed the cake into the cart. “Tony?”

“Do you want to get a pregnancy test while we are here?” The question was soft, but the love in his eyes had Ashley in tears almost immediately. 

“Yes,” Ash whispered. “Don’t be mad, I know we didn’t plan to have kids right now I know we wanted to move into the house and get settled, I don’t even know that I am, but I think I could be.”

“I am far from mad,” Tony pulled the trembling woman to his chest. “If we are having a baby, I am scared to death, but I am also very happy.”

“There are so many,” Ashley sighed. “How do we know which one is the most accurate?”

“Well,” a soft voice came from behind them. “All pregnancy tests give you the best result with the first urine of the day, that’s when the hormones are the strongest in your urine. I am on baby number six, I have used this one and this one. You can pee right on the stick, no teeny tiny cup to hit. I’d buy two boxes, you’re going to take this as soon as you get home. It’s the nature of a woman.”

“Thank you,” Ashley blushed as she added two boxes to the cart.

“That’s four tests,” Tony whispered. “How many times do you want to pee?”

“Well, if it’s negative, we’ll wait and see. If it’s positive, I am going to need a few to convince myself this is real.” Ashley laughed. “A baby, Tony.”

“I know,” kissing the top of Ash’s head, Tony turning their cart around and headed to dairy. “Ice cream, milk, yogurt, eggs. You’re going to take very good care of yourself.”

Grabbing a large bottle of water at check out, Ashley was determine to have to pee by the time they got home. Making their way into the house with the groceries, the managed to get everything put away before the urge hit. “Grab the box, I got to go!”

Tearing the box open, Tony followed his lady down the hallway. “Don’t miss,” Tony joked only to see Ashley’s face go pale. “I was kidding. You’re going to pee like a champ, I know you will. I’ll wait out in the hallway reading the directions.”

“Are you okay?” Tony yelled into the bathroom. Easing the door open, he made his way to where Ashley was staring at the test. “Mommy, I would say that’s two very dark lines. We’re having a baby!” 

“A baby,” Ashley giggled. “We’re having a baby. I need to make a doctor’s appointment.” Pulling out her phone, Ashley was able to get an appointment for the same day due to a cancellation. “They want to see us in an hour.” 

“Today?” Tony gasped. “Okay, you take a shower and I will put the groceries away.”

Gibbs knocked lightly on Tony and Ashley’s door. He wanted to check in to make sure she was okay. “Jethro.” Ashley hugged the agent tight. “Thank you for helping today, I can’t express my gratitude enough. Come in, eat with us.”

“That smells good,” Jethro commented as he stepped out on the back porch. “Didn’t realize how hungry I am.” Gibbs paused long enough to look at his phone. “Your message about come for dinner just came through.”

“I need to talk to you,” Tony pointed to a nearby chair. “Gibbs, my life is changing so much, so fast. I am so happy, but I am so worried that all that can be gone in a blink once the team finds out about Ashley.”  
“Don’t tell them,” Gibbs shrugged. “You don’t owe them details of your life, Tony. They are our team; we have each other’s backs whether they know details or not. I don’t think they need to know.” 

“I understand why you didn’t tell us about Shannon and Kelly,” Tony rubbed his hands over his knees in frustration. “I understand why they were so precious to you that you needed to keep them private.”

“Can I join you?” Ashley moved to sit with Tony when he nodded. “This is for you.” Handing over a gift bag, Ashley leaned against Tony waiting to see if the message would sink in.

“Miniature tool belt,” Gibbs smirked. “And a hard hat?”

“That basement of yours is a death trap,” Tony mumbled. 

“A baby?” Gibbs eyes filled with tears, pure joy radiated off the man. “You’re pregnant?”

“Eight weeks,” Ashley whispered. “Baby is good, I am good. We just want to enjoy this, without anyone on the outside ruining it. You’re the only person we have told, the only other person we intend to tell is Delores.”

“I am honored,” Gibbs looked down at the little tool belt in his hand. “I know these are props to tell me.”

“No,” Ashley put a hand on Jethro’s. “I know that our start was rough, but I’ve grown very fond of you. You are more that just Tony’s friend, you’re our friend. When you offered to let us stay with you, I was wondering if that offer is still good. I do not want to take a chance with the baby or Tony’s lungs and paint fumes.”

“My spare bedroom is cleaned out,” Gibbs smiled. “Had a gut feeling that you’d need it.”

“After we leave,” Tony gave a coy look. “You could turn it into a playroom, this baby needs family, Gibbs. Aside for my dad, you’re all we have.”

“My family is not to know,” Ashley commented quickly. “I would not trust them to take care of a parakeet, let alone a child. They’re not nice, Gibbs.”

“Understood,” Gibbs nodded. “Another reason for the team to be kept in the dark, they would not let your family issues go. Okay, this puts your due date when?”

“June 30th,” Ashley looked nervous. “I am so scared and excited. He’s terrified.” Bumping shoulders with Tony, Ashley laughed when Tony’s features turned to panic. “Yea, this is going to be very interesting pregnancy.”


	7. Chapter 7

“Hey,” Gibbs watched as Tony guided Ashley into his home and over to the sofa. “What’s wrong?”

“The crazy aunt,” Tony growled. “She made Lorelei return our rent check and has blocked the sale of the house.”

“We’re homeless,” Ashley whispered. “We have a baby coming into this world and we have no home to take the baby home to.”

“You are not homeless,” Gibbs nodded towards the downstairs bedroom. “That room is yours for as long as you need it to be. We can put the crib in there too. I actually have another idea, let’s get you moved in and we’ll work on it.”

“Ducky bought my piano,” Tony sighed. “I didn’t want to put it in storage, I asked him if it could stay there until we had a house. He bought it, so I guess that was a yes.”

“We’re going to get you something to replace it,” Ashley sighed. “Once we know where the hell, we’re going to live to put it. This is not going like we planned, that aunt is going to be an ongoing issue. We should go visit Thomas; I want him to know we’re okay.”

“I’d like to meet him,” Gibbs offered, this man was going to need some reassurances that the two younger people were okay. “We could take him some food, deck of cards.”

“He’s a card shark,” Tony laughed. “Let’s go  
“Hey good looking,” Ashley called as they entered their friend’s apartment. “We brought you the best of the best food. Lorelei says you like your sweets, wait until you taste this coconut cream pie and these coconut crumble cookies!”

“Who is that?” Thomas pointed to Gibbs.

“LeRoy Jethro Gibbs,” Jethro extended his hand. “Tony’s boss but mostly their friend. Nice to meet you, sir.”

“You looking after these two?” Thomas motioned towards Tony and Ashley. “They are good people, they don’t think the rambling of an old man is nonsense. I just wish I could fix this mess with the house for them.”

“That’s why we are here,” Tony motioned for Thomas to sit while Gibbs and Ashley set out the food. “We’re okay, we’re going to stay with Gibbs for a while. We love your house, we really do. Ashley and I want you to know, that your friendship is most valuable to us.”

“I could help you design a new house,” Thomas watched as Tony and Ashley thought it over. “Build one from the ground up, watch your dreams come alive. It will bond you.”

“How long does it take to build a house?” Ashley looked from Thomas to Gibbs. 

“Three to six months,” Gibbs commented. “I could see them starting in March to be safe.”

“March,” Ashley sighed. “We’ll have to think about it.”  
“How many houses have you looked at?” Thomas questioned.

“Online,” Tony scrubbed his hand over his face. “We stopped counting when we hit 100. There was something about most of them that needed fixed and the amount of money it was going to cost was not worth the price of the house.”

“There is some land three roads over from me,” Gibbs sighed. “Unless that is too close.”

“Not too close,” Ashley shook her head. “It’s just..” Turning towards Thomas, Ashley took his hand in hers. “How would you like to be an uncle in June?”

“A baby?” Thomas gently placed his head on Ashley’s stomach. “Oh my friends, a baby. This is absolutely amazing news. I have a laptop over there, let’s fire it up and look at this land that Gibbs is talking about. We need to build a house for this baby!”

(Author’s brief note: How cute is Thomas? OMGosh, I know he’s my OC, but he’s so adorable.)

“This is so good,” Gibbs mumbled around a bite of food as they search for the owner of the property. “Let me text Tobias, he may remember the name of the owner or the realtor. He commented on it one day. He says it’s Bright-Maxwell.”

“Oh,” Ashley smiled. “I had the Maxwell girl in my class last year.”

“Let’s see,” Thomas’s fingers flew over the keyboard. “Is that it?”

“Yep,” Gibbs grabbed another chicken leg. “That’s it. I thought it would go for more than that.”

“Does that mean something is wrong with it?” Tony turned to Gibbs. “I mean, we can’t be that lucky that it’s a good piece of land and selling for less than it’s value.”

“Go walk it, you’ll learn a lot by just walking around the property this time of year. It’s cold, but not frozen and that will tell you if there are drainage issues.” Thomas scoops up some potatoes. “God, this is so good”

Tony took Gibbs to walk the land with the help of Stan, Vance, Ducky and Jack. Everyone seemed to have a vested interest in finding the ideal piece of property. Yearning to tell them he was going to be a father, Tony managed to get Gibbs off to himself. “I want to tell them, but she will hurt me.”

“Let’s go with baby steps,” Gibbs suggested. “Lets see if anyone finds anything on this parcel, set goals. Land, blueprints, announcement, I think this group can be trusted. Do not tell Tobias, his mouth runs like a garden hose.”

“Is this three parcels of land?” Tony looked around. “I would like to buy all three if they aren’t garbage and build in the middle.”

“That is a great idea,” Gibbs yelled to everyone to check the remainder of the land. “You could do a house here with an attached garage. You are going to want a nice shed to store the lawn mower and garden tools. I would definitely recommend something that is your serenity space.”

“She shed and a man cave?” Tony snorted. “I like the idea, I will talk it over with her.”

“We found nothing that seems out of the ordinary,” Ducky reported. “This is a lovely area, Anthony. As much as Ashley seems to love her privacy and being outdoors, she will love this.”

“Let’s go tell her,” Tony smiled. “It’s time that all of you met Thomas. I think that he is going to love the company, the attention and all the new friends. Ducky, you are going to love his stories as much as he will love yours. Let’s go rescue my gal.”

“Thomas,” Gibbs called as they walked through the door. “The property is perfect. We brought you company.” Gibbs took the time to introduce everyone one by one including their job titles. Thomas’s eyes danced as he shook hands with each of them and hugged the ladies.

“So many new friends,” Thomas picked up the phone. “There is a place around the corner that delivers the best baked goods and within an hour.” Placing his order, Thomas made his way to the coffee pot to set it a whirl while Ashley ran to the store to buy more coffee, cups and a surprise for her friend after taking inventory of his fridge.”

“My lovely,” Thomas gasped as Ashley carried in groceries and asked for help with the rest. “You are so kind to an old man, my children used to bring me things but lately they have been so busy. There is nobody to take me anywhere, I stopped driving.”

“Well,” Vance winked. “You have a whole new group of people that are adopting you and will help you out. All you have to do is let us know you need something, or what to go somewhere and we will see which one of us wins the fight to enjoy your company for the day.”

“Tomorrow,” Thomas looked at his new friends. “Tomorrow will be brighter now that I have good friends in my life.”

Tony and Ashley made their way to the hotel they had gotten for the night, they wanted to spend the next day setting up their room at Jethro’s house. “I’m off next Wednesday through the following Monday for Thanksgiving, I can get our things organized better then. We just need to set us up enough to get through two days of work for me and three for you. I think we should do something nice for him for Thanksgiving. Will he let us have your dad over?”

“He already invited him,” Tony laughed. “I heard him invite Ducky and Jack too, they are alone for the holiday.”

“We need to make a grocery list,” Ashley took out a notebook. “Since there are two of us to one of him, we should stock his fridge and cupboards. Was that a pantry I saw as you are going to the basement steps?”

“Yep,” Tony laughed. “You have to relax, stop treating this like you are a guest in his house that has to be perfect.”

“Well, I don’t want him to think we are acting like we are in an episode of Broke and just dropping in on him so that he can support us.” Ashley snapped. “Okay, I am calming down now. I have to stay calm, my emotions transfer to Elmer.”

“Elmer?” Tony laughed. “You know, if we act serious about that name for a while….”

“Could be fun,” Ashley laughed as they started working on the grocery list. “Where was Thomas going to Thanksgiving?”

“He’s going to Tristan’s house,” Tony commented. “Said the whole family goes there, so I think he’s all good.”

Making their way through the store the next morning, Tony and Ashley made sure they had groceries for the next week, including the holiday. With their arms loaded down, they were shocked to find Gibbs greeting them on the porch to help unload the car.

“You certainly loaded up on groceries,” Gibbs snickered. “Was planning to go after I knew you were here and settling in.”

“This is the least we can do,” Tony interjected. “We’ll get them put away and start organizing our things. We’ll fold the boxes down to flat and take them to storage for our big move, someday.”

Gibbs put the groceries away while Ashley started sorting the boxes by necessity. “The bathroom is all set up with out things. Your dresser is that one by the bathroom, I will take this one over here. We can set our TV up on that stand over there, put our movie at the side.”

“Or you could put your movies in the living room,” Gibbs suggested. “I like movies, too.”

“We can do that,” Tony grabbed the boxes and started for the living room before Ashley could argue. Together, the men sorted and stored the movies in the shelves that Gibbs cleared, leaving Ashley alone to organize; both men not wanting to be in her way.

“I’m starving,” Ash mumbled as she came out of the bedroom. “How about some lunch?”

“I will start the grill,” Gibbs headed for the back porch. “Burgers are thawing in the fridge.”

“I will slice the onions and tomatoes,” Ashley called out. “Tony can do the nacho stuff that we got to go with them.”

“On it,” Tony’s eyes danced. “He’s never had these before, he’s going to overindulge.”

“Makes three of us,” Ashley laughed as she listened to Tony preheat the oven. “This is going to work out, right?”

“Definitely,” Tony kissed his lady before turning on his heels to start working on his nachos.

“Okay,” Gibbs finally pushed his plate away. “Those were a sin, Tony. I am going to need bigger pants if this is how we are going to eat all the time.”

“You’re going to need bigger pants because you will be eating and not just living off of coffee,” Tony nodded towards Ashley. “She’s not going to let that happen, her culinary skills are much improved so I would consider this a warning if I were you.”

“What else needs done?” Gibbs started to clear the table. “We can put those boxes in the back of my truck, make one trip to your storage unit.”

“After that,” Ashley sighed. “Could we decorate your porch for the holidays? We could grab my stuff from storage. We put all the holiday decorations in the smaller unit so they didn’t get broken.”

“We can,” Gibbs nodded. “You want us to get them or do you want to come?”

“Why don’t you go get them while I clean up in here and go outside to get my vision for what we can do.” Ashley snickered at the look on Jethro’s face. “Don’t worry, it won’t be anything too crazy.”

“You missed crazy, that was Halloween.” Tony laughed. “How did he miss that?”

“We had to take things down early because of those days with the high winds,” Ashley reminded Tony. “I didn’t want my witch or ghosts to blow away.”

“All the kids, in her class, trick or treated in that neighborhood. They wanted to see her house and get some of her surprises. They brought them in vans, it was pretty cool.”

Gibbs and Tony returned within an hour with the boxes marked Thanksgiving. Watching with amusement as Ashley carefully unpacked the boxes and placed the items on the porch, Gibbs wondered what Shannon could see that he was actually enjoying the holidays again.

“Boss, do Leyla and Amira have a place to go for Thanksgiving?” Tony realized that he was taking Gibbs from them. 

“I was thinking about inviting them.” Gibbs watched. “Amira is the granddaughter of a friend of mine, he died and I promised to look after them. They moved here a few years back, I have been there for the holidays.”

“Jethro,” Ashley stood up straight. “Do not change your life because we are here. If that is what you do, go do it.”

“I would rather be here,” Gibbs commented. “It doesn’t feel festive there. We are still focused on our loss.”

“Well, I think you should call them. Give Leyla my phone number, we can coordinate dishes. I am sure she already purchased food. We can put whatever we need to in your chest freezer, I peeked you have lots of room for ice cream.” Ashley laughed. “I am so sorry, it’s been my guilty pleasure my whole adult life.”

“How many pints of ice cream are in my freezers?” Gibbs snorted al augh.

“Ten flavors,” Ashley looked proud. “All up for grabs to anyone that wants them. I put my dry erase board on the side of your fridge, write down anything you use up. We can build a list that way.”

“Teachers,” Gibbs shook his head. “So damn organized.”

The holiday came quickly, Leyla and Ashley were already good friends by the actual day. They had spent several hours chatting via skype planning out the meal, down to the last detail. By the time Thanksgiving Day came, both women were very excited to meet in person.

“Tony,” Ashley fixed her sweater over her belly. “Are you sure that you want to tell your dad today?”

“I do,” Tony smiled. “He’s going to be overjoyed. Before you say a word, I realize that telling him means we are telling Ducky and Jack too.”

“Good,” Ashley pulled out a small box to show Tony. “What do you think?”

“I think, he is going to be speechless.” Tony laughed. “I also think that we are going to get attacked by Leyla and Jack.”

“I’m ready,” Ashley took a deep breath. “I got this for Amira, Leyla said she started the book series so I got her the next two books in the series. I want her to start associating the holidays with happiness, not so much sadness.”

“I wish the same for Gibbs,” Tony hugged Ashley tight. “Let’s go eat, I hear voices out there and I know the food is ready.”

“There they are,” Jack hugged both of her friends. “It smells delicious, Gibbs says the three of you have been at it since dawn.”

“We have,” Ashley confirmed. “It was fun.”

“The dark shadows aren’t under his eyes today,” Jack whispered to Tony as she watched Gibbs. “I would say that this is the best medicine for him, having the two of you here.”

Dinner was finished leaving the adults deep in conversation about something political. “Hey,” Ashley took Amira by the hand. “Come with me for a minute, I have something for you and I need your help.”

“Thank you,” Amira laughed as they entered the room that the duo was occupying. “They are talking about the most boring subject on the planet, it’s one that will start a fight too.”

“That is why I wanted out of there,” Ashley laughed. “I’m not big into that topic, I would much rather do this. Your mom said that are working on this book series and was telling me how much you love it.”

“I just finished the book before these this morning,” Amira hugged Ashley so tight. “Thank you so much, I can’t believe you did this for me. Thank you.”

“You are welcome, I want to talk to you about something and then ask your help. Gibbs says that holidays can be kind of sad.”

“Everyone gets so focused on those that aren’t here,” Amira sighed. “I just stay silent because I don’t want them to be hurt that I’m not a fan of focusing on that.”

“Well, I am with you. Holidays should be about who is here and what we are working to accomplish. It should be about the future. Speaking of the future, I am pregnant.” Ashley watched as Amira’s face broke out into a smile. “This is the way we are telling Tony’s father and everyone else too. Gibbs knows, but the others do not. Do you think you could hand that to him for me?”

“I can,” Amira laughed. “When is the baby supposed to come?”

“End of June,” Ashley watched the excitement grow.

“I will be out of school for the summer, I can come over and help you.” There was a lightness and a great deal of excitement surrounding the young lady. “I am so excited; it’s going to be so great.”

“Mr. DiNozzo,” Amira handed the small box to Tony’s father. “This is for you. I think you should open it right now.”

“She’s excited,” Ashley laughed.

“Grandpa’s Little Pumpkin,” Senior read as he pulled the onesie from the box. “You’re pregnant? There is going to be a baby?”

“There is,” Tony confirmed as his dad pulled him into a big hug. “I’m going to be a dad.”


	8. Chapter 8

“Special Agent DiNozzo,” Secretary Porter greeted her agent as he exited the elevator. “Thank you for coming in on your day off, I won’t take up much of your time. I have a special assignment for you.”

“Ma’am,” Tony interrupted. “I do not mean to show any disrespect, but I have more than just myself to consider these days. My special assignments for the person in your position, in the past, have almost gotten me killed the last few times.”

“Agent DiNozzo,” Secretary Porter tried to interrupt the agent.

“I would rather quit,” Tony sighed. “Then go out, into the field, without Gibbs on my six.”

“I do not want you to put your life on the line,” Secretary Porter motioned to a private office. “Come with me,” opening the door for Tony, SecNav waited. “I need someone to accompany me to an appointment, I do not want to use my normal security detail. I have had some concerns recently.”

“May I inquire as to what type of appointment, ma’am?” Tony pulled out a chair for Secretary Porter to have a seat. “You can trust me, ma’am.”

“I know that I can,” Sarah sighed. “I need to have a CT scan of my head. I have been getting migraines, they have grown debilitating. The doctor wants some images to rule out anything.”

“When do they want to do this?” Tony questioned softly.

“In an hour,” Sarah sighed. “I’m…”

“Scared,” Tony gently squeezed SecNav’s hand in support. “Come on, let’s go out the backway to the sedan. I know a way to get us into the private entrance of the hospital.” A quick call in the elevator and Tony knew they would make their way into the hospital, undetected.

“You were ready to quit?” SecNav questioned softly. “You seem changed.”

“We have not told anyone outside of Gibbs, Agent Sloan and Dr. Mallard, but my girlfriend and I are expecting a baby. This is the happiest that I have been in my whole life, ma’am.” Tony blew out a breath. “I do not want anything to happen to make her doubt her choice to be a part of my life.”

Tony stood guard as Secretary Porter worked with the technicians to start the scan. “Hey,” Tony greeted Gibbs. “Thank you for coming, I thought we needed two agents on this. She is scared, Boss. She will probably fire me, but I didn’t want to take any chances.”

“I will keep my back to her, eyes on the door. You watch her.” Gibbs turned to stand guard. 

“Sir,” the technician called to Tony. “Are you two close? She’s starting to panic in there, I really want to get this done.”

“Is she allowed to talk?” Tony questioned. 

“She can,” the tech nodded. “Just keep her calm, remind her to keep still. Talk into this.”

“Secretary Porter,” Tony called out. “I was wondering, when you were pregnant with Megan, what was the one gift you would have loved from your husband?”

“Membership to the Ice Cream of the Month Club,” Sarah snickered. “Sorry, trying not to move. I craved ice cream and popcorn.”

“How much weight am I going to gain during this?” Tony questioned with a playful tone.

“Richard gained ten pounds,” Sarah answered softly. “He started the post pregnancy workouts with me after she was born. He passed out in the delivery room, woke up when it was all over. If you get dizzy, have them get you a chair. You do not want to miss the birth of your baby, Tony. It is the most miraculous thing in your life. The feeling that you get when that child makes their first noise or when you can fit your finger in their little hand. Touching their soft little lips, it’s all consuming.”

“Hold still, please. We got it,” the tech called softly. “We’re pulling her out.”

“Can I go in there with you?” Tony questioned the tech as she was about to enter the testing area.

“She needs to get up slowly,” the tech chided. “Wait right here for her, she’s going to be a bit unsteady when she comes out. Walk her over to the exam room across the hallway.”

“Easy,” Tony offered an arm. “Go slow.”

“Where’s Agent Gibbs?” Sarah looked around. “I know better than to think that you took your eyes off the hallway to keep me from panicking without backup.”

“He’s at the corner,” Tony pointed to his friend’s elbow. “Don’t be mad, he can be trusted. I could not leave you so minimally protected.”

“I am not mad,” SecNav sighed as Tony helped her step up to sit on the exam table. “I’m grateful.”

“I will meet you at home,” Gibbs commented as they parted in the parking structure. “Secretary Porter, get some rest.”

“Tell Ashley,” Tony paused. “I will be home by dinner.”

Gibbs arrived home, the smell of something delicious coming from the crockpot on the counter. “That smells amazing.”

“Where did you guys go?” Ashley pushed softly. “Everything okay?”

“Secretary Porter,” Gibbs turned to face his younger friend. “She wanted a special security detail to go to an appointment, she has found reason to distrust her security detail lately.”

“Is Tony still with her?” 

“He’s taking her home,” Gibbs started up the stairs. “He will be here soon, just has to drive her home, go back to NCIS and get his car. Let me change clothes, while he is gone, we can look at some of the furniture in the attic, see if you want any of it for the baby.”

“Gibbs,” Ashley ran her hands over the beautiful woodwork. “Was this Kelly’s cradle?”

“It was,” Gibbs closed his eyes briefly, trying to ground himself as the memories of his little girl flooded his mind.

“Ashley? Gibbs?” Tony called out, as he climbed the stairs. “Hello?”

“We’re in the attic,” Gibbs called out. “Change your clothes and come on up.”

Tony joined Gibbs and Ashley as they looked at the furniture. “Boss, we can’t accept these, they belonged to your daughter. They hold special memories for you.”

“My memories,” Gibbs put a hand on the wall to brace himself. “Are here and here,” pointing to his head and heart, he tried to keep his lip from trembling.

“I would love to use the cradle and this dresser,” Ashley ran her hand over the wood. “That chest is beautiful; it could store diapers and blankets.”

“We’ll get it down soon,” Gibbs commented. “I will take it in the garage and put fresh stain on it and seal it.” 

“Let’s get out of here,” Ashley commented. “It’s warm, I think we need some cooler air and to check on dinner.”

Making his way outside, Gibbs took a deep breath as he balled his fists, he sounds of the door clicking closed startling him. “What do you want, Tony?”

“I just wanted to make sure that you are okay,” Tony moved to stand shoulder to shoulder with his friend. “The shadows are back under your eyes, Boss. Something is eating at you, if this is all too much, we can go. Please, talk to me.”

“What do you want me to say?” Gibbs snipped. “Want me to tell you that the unknown haunts me? That being up there, with my past makes me wonder if I had anything to come home to even if they had not died.”

“What do you mean?” Tony was not going to let this go, pushing a chair behind Jethro’s legs, he placed his own in front of him. “Talk to me, Gibbs.”

“What I saw in Kuwait,” Gibbs put his head down, as if in shame. “Before that, I was different, it took something from me. That is what war does. Sometimes, I think of my girls. If they had been there when I got home, maybe they would not have recognized me. Maybe, there would not have been enough of me left for them to hang onto. Maybe the best of me was gone. You come home; you are like half a person. The other half of you is still back there, at war. At least it (war) made sense. There, even with the bullets, blood and chaos, you knew what mattered. You knew that the guy next to you was willing to die for you, and you for him. You look around and think, it shouldn’t take a war to make the world that simple.”

“Gibbs,” Tony cleared his throat. “I can’t take your pain away; I cannot imagine what you went through over there or the pain that you went through knowing that you were coming home to just memories.”

Ashley stood in the doorway listening; wiping away at her tears, as she moved to join Tony, hoping that a strong front from both of them would help Gibbs.

“Jethro,” Ashley stooped in front of Gibbs. “I want you to listen to me and hear what I am saying to you. The kind of love that you had with Shannon was a once in a lifetime kind of love and it produced a beautiful child. There is nothing that you could have done, when you returned, that she would not have been willing to love you through.”

“How do you know?” Gibbs looked up through tear filled eyes.

“Because, I feel the same kind of love for Tony, that I can imagine Shannon did for you. There is nothing that I would not standby him to work through.”

“Boss,” Tony helped Ashley to her feet and pulled a chair around for her to sit with them. “What happened in Kuwait, it made you the agent that you are today. The lives you have saved because of that, the lives you have changed because of your dedication to service. You should be proud of yourself.” 

“Tony,” Gibbs interrupted.

“Don’t interrupt,” Tony stopped his friend. “Your parents created you, gave you a strong foundation to build your life on. Shannon’s love gave you hope, Kelly’s love gave you purpose. You have tried hard to find that over the years in your work, but it’s left you even more empty.”

“Shannon and Kelly would not want you to hurt like this,” Ashley took Jethro’s hands into her own. “They would have wanted you to find a way to live again. You are a damn fine man, LeRoy Jethro Gibbs. The pain of your past does not have to be intensified by the idea of how you could have lost them anyway.”

“Gibbs,” Tony placed his hand on Jethro’s face to turn his eyes to look at him. “Pedro Hernandez killed your family, not you. What you did to get justice, was the only solution to the situation, that fit it. That is where this should end. I think they would want you to honor them, by finding a way to live again, to let love in.”

“It does not have to be the love of another woman,” Ashley spoke up. “Let yourself feel the true love of family, Jethro. It’s time to let that wall that you have built around yourself come down. It does not have to be all at once, but brick by brick.”

Blowing out a breath, Gibbs closed his eyes to try to refocus and take in the moment, to imagine what Shannon and Kelly would want him to take from this moment. 

“Dinner is ready,” Ashley whispered in his ear as she kissed the side of his head. “You need to eat, so don’t take too long.” Taking Tony by the hand, the couple started to walk away only to have Tony pause and place a supportive hand on Jethro’s shoulder and give it a squeeze before moving into the house.

“Did we overstep?” Tony watched out the window as his friend’s shoulders shook in what he could only assume was a sob. “I’m going out there.”

“No,” Ashley handed Tony the plates. “You are going to set the table for dinner, he needs to grieve, Tony. He needs to let go and that’s going to be the hardest thing he has ever done, other than burying his wife and daughter.”

“He has to stop wanting to punish himself,” Tony commented unaware that Gibbs had stepped in the back door. “That man means so much to me, he’s been my anchor when I felt like the waves of the world were crashing over my head. He is the most consistent father figure that I have ever had, he is my best friend, along with you, of course. I want him to find a way to be happy, even for just a little while.”

“If you want to take a shower, I can keep dinner warm until you are ready.” Ashley stated softly as she looked up to see Gibbs trying hard to keep his emotions in check, rewarded with a nod from him as he walked towards the stairs.

“I need fifteen minutes,” Gibbs whispered.

Fifteen minutes later, Jethro emerged looking exhausted but the pain that had been etched in his face for years, was starting to retreat. “I’ve never made bread before, so if it’s not edible I apologize. It felt very domestic,” Ashley laughed. 

“This is delicious,” Tony praised as he took a third bite of bread and a fourth bite of his meat. “You’ve come a long way from gourmet PB&J.”

“Girl’s getting some skills,” Ashley joked. “Seriously, I am trying to get better at it. Now that I have two hard working men that require nutrition, it will motivate me to try even harder.”

“This really is good,” Gibbs pointed at his plate. “I’m going to have to run with you in the morning, I can’t keep eating like this and skipping my run.”

“You’re more than welcome to,” Ashley laughed. “Not familiar enough with this area to run by myself, so I will take a guide.”

A knock at the door pulled the trio from their conversation. “Doc, what are you doing here?” Gibbs was surprised to see Grace’s face at his door.

“Well, I have a trunk full of things for Ashley’s class, I was hoping you could take them to NCIS for me. Director Vance does not seem to need my services lately, or I would have delivered them myself.” Grace sighed. “Your dinner smells so good.”

“Ashley cooked,” Gibbs stood to the side to let Grace in. “These two are living with me while they figure out what to do about a house. The one they thought they had squared away, got caught up in the middle of family drama.”

“Hey, you two,” Grace hugged Ashley and Tony. “This is a wonderful surprise. Wait, I didn’t mean feed me.” Grace laughed as Tony pulled out a chair and Ashley placed a plate in front of her. “Oh, maybe I did. This is good.”

“Excuse me,” Ashley bolted for the bedroom. 

“Be right back,” Tony took off after the love of his life, he wanted to be supportive. “You going to throw up?”

“No,” Ashley sat on the edge of the bed. “I was getting really warm and woozy. Wanted something more substantial than a chair with no arms under me.”

“Gibbs,” Tony’s shout followed a thud.

“What happened?” Gibbs moved into the bedroom to find Ashley on the floor unconscious.

“She stood up and hit the deck.” Tony and Gibbs lifted Ashley onto the bed. 

“Let me in here,” Grace moved around the men to measure Ashley’s pulse. “Hey sweetheart,” Grace whispered softly as Ashley’s eyes fluttered open. “Take it easy, you fainted. We’re going to get you some juice and try to figure out what is going on.”

Gibbs made quick work of filling the juice glass and returning to Ashley’s side. “Here.”

“Tony? Ashley?” Grace looked between her new friends. “What’s the look?”

“I’m 10 weeks pregnant,” Ashley looked and felt timid suddenly. “Please, we’re trying to keep it from the people that Tony works with.”

“Your secret is safe with me,” Grace winked. “Women have been fainting for ages due to hormones, I feel better knowing this is the cause. You need some rest, fluids and to finish your dinner. Do you think that you can stand?”

“Yeah,” Ashley moved to stand only to have Grace stop her.

“Nice and slow, sweetheart. If you pop off that bed, you’re going to be kissing the floor again.” Pulling her friend to her feet, Grace waited to see if Ashley’s world was going to tilt. “All good?”

“Yes,” moving slowly towards Tony, Ashley took his arm and walked to the door. “Okay, let’s finish dinner.”

“Gibbs?” Grace watched as he studied Ashley. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” Gibbs took another bite. “Do you have time to talk after you are done eating?”

“I will make time for you,” Grace watched as relief washed over Ashley and Tony’s faces. “How long have known about your precious baby?”

“Two weeks,” Ashley sighed. “I’m so sorry to ask you to keep our secret, we want to work on us and now our home and family without the outside interruptions and input of people that have nobody’s best interest at heart except their own.”

“We’re going to do the dishes,” Tony called out as they carried the items from the table to the sink. “He needs a dishwasher,” Tony sighed as he looked around the kitchen at the set up. “He actually needs a new kitchen.”

“Stop it,” Ashley started to scrub the dishes and placing them in the clean side of the sink to be rinsed. “We need to come up with a good Christmas present for him, Tony. He is doing a lot for us.”

“We’ll figure it out,” Tony sighed. “How are we going to figure out what the increase in utilities is to give him money? " "Stop trying to remodel his house, he is not there in his mind, Tony. We are going to tell him that we want to pay him something,” Ashley glanced quickly to check on their friends. “If he refuses, we have to figure out a plan B.”

“Popeye,” Grace placed a supportive hand on Jethro’s wrist. “Everything that you told me, it’s what someone needed to say to you for so long. Tony had to be the one to get in your face, he is the only one that you would accept that from. Let’s be real, Popeye. He is the only one that has the guts to knock your feet out from underneath so that you have to take his hand to allow him to help you up.”

“You’re right,” Gibbs turned towards Tony, the gratitude resonating from him. “It was hard to hear. I wasn’t prepared for that to happen.”

“Why did it?” Grace prodded. “What happened today, that made you open up like that?”

“My son is having a baby,” Gibbs whispered. “A paternal instinct that I thought died with Kelly, has been overwhelming me. It has made me think about so much of the past, Doc.”

“It’s time to keep your eyes facing forward now, Popeye.” Grace paused. “I’m serious, the time to let go of the past has to happen for you to move forward. There is a baby coming into your life, Gibbs. A baby that you are going to be grandfather figure to; not to mention the family that is going to turn to you for reassurance and love, your family.”

“What if I screw it up?” Gibbs questioned. “What if my issues are bigger than what I can conquer for them?”

“They aren’t,” Grace smiled. “What you have accomplished, just today, shows me that you are ready to keep your eyes forward. You can do this, Gibbs. I know you like to act all tough guy, need nobody, want to be alone until the end. It is an act, Gibbs. You are not alone, and I think you are allowing yourself to accept it.”


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have to agree with NCIS on the fact that Tony would not stay in the line of fire as a agent with a child on the way. So that is the reason for what is happening in this chapter

“Gibbs?” Tony made his way down to the basement. “Would you help me with something?”

“What’s up?” Gibbs looked up from the plans he was working on. “Everything okay?”

“I want to surprise Ashley,” Tony explained. “She went to visit with Thomas, he needed some things from the store and wanted to talk to her about her vision for our house. He is talking to us one at a time to see what we do without the influence of the other.”

“What are you planning?” Gibbs stood tall, he would never admit it out loud, but he loved being needed. Taking the paper that Tony was handing him, Jethro looked over what Tony wanted to do as a smile broke out on his face. “I have half of this in that closet over there. The other half, we may have to go on a scavenger hunt for.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Tony sighed. “I want something special for her, she’s carrying my baby. Inside of her is this little human growing, her body is changing, and she is keeping a miracle safe.”

“You know,” Gibbs snorted. “You do conceal this very well when we are at the office. Do you hear a knock?”

“I think so,” Tony started up the stairs. “I’m glad you disabled the doorbell, it’s obnoxious to wake up to when someone visits early, like Tim did yesterday.”

“He didn’t want anything,” Gibbs sighed. “I think he pinged your phone and followed it. With your cars in the garage, the garage windows blacked out, he has nothing to go on if he doesn’t see evidence that you are here.”

“Gibbs,” Bishop sighed as he opened the door. “Oh, Tony. I was hoping to get Gibbs alone.”

“I can go sit with the boat,” Tony shrugged. “I won’t sand without supervision.”

“What is going on with him?” Bishop questioned as soon as Tony closed the basement door. “Tim says his phone shows he is here all the time, what happened? Did he lose all his money? Is that why he sold his house to live with you?”

“No,” Gibbs shook his head. “He’s not broke.”

“You and Tim are way out of line, Bishop.” Tony opened the basement door in anger. “There is nothing I would like more than to fire your ass for this stunt, but I won’t. Listen to me very carefully, I am not broke, I am fine. I am none of your damn business. I am sure that while you are here, Tim is running my financials so you will see that I am not broke and homeless.”

“Are you two in a relationship?” Bishop gasped. “What about the rule 12?”

“You think that I am?” Gibbs snorted with laughter. “You think that I am gay?”

“Why else would Tony be living here for no apparent reason?” Bishop was frustrated. “Unless you are sick! That’s it, isn’t it? Your heart is failing or Tony’s lungs?”

“No,” Tony shook his head. “I’ve had this pain, in the gluteus maximus area though.”

“Okay,” Bishop growls in frustration. “If you’re not sick, not broke and not lovers; why are you here?”

“I am here because I started having issue with being afraid of the dark and bed wetting,” Tony explained with a straight face. “Gibbs has taken me under his wing in an effort to see if we can get to the root of my issues.”

“Not funny,” Bishop snapped. “Fine, don’t tell me.” Leaving in a huff, Bishop did not realize all she did with her stunt was bring down a bunch of trouble for the team.

“Ready to get started?” Gibbs waved the list in his hand. “Don’t let her get to you, I know for sure things are about to change at work, so they won’t be an issue.”

“What do you mean?” Tony followed Gibbs down the basement stairs. “Gibbs?”

“That private security assignment,” Gibbs sighed. “Vance says it was a test to see what would happen. You and I have been chosen to be part of a new team that is being formed to work directly with Secretary Porter, doing what we do but on a different level.”

“We’re still going to investigate crimes?” Tony questioned. “I don’t understand.”

“I have no other details,” Gibbs shrugged. “Vance didn’t think I would be game for it, but I think it’s time for me to hand off the team and pursue other things. This works out for me; it’s going to work out for you too. I’ve been promised it will be a regular hour job, with a 10% pay bump per year and more of a say on how things happen.”

“That could go in the baby’s college fund,” Tony sighed. “Did I just say baby and college fund?”

“You did, daddy.” Gibbs snorted. “What do we have left on that list?”

“Three things,” Tony looked skeptical. “Maybe I should rethink this?”

“Or,” Gibbs paused. “Let’s go look in Ashley’s storage area. I bet we find those last three things in her decorations.”

Meanwhile………

“I got everything you asked for you,” Ashley called out as she wheeled her cart into Thomas’s apartment. “I picked you up a cheesecake sampler too. That sweet tooth of yours needs to be kept happy.”

“Want a piece?” Thomas studied the box. “I am thinking the Snickers one, how about you?”

“Oh Gosh,” Ashley peeked over his shoulder. “YES!”

“One piece for the baby, coming right up.” Thomas pulled down the plates and grabbed the forks. “I am very interested in hearing what you have for dreams for your house. Now, I want to hear your wishes, not Tony’s wishes.”

“I want a window seat so that I can sit and read on it,” Ashley smiled. “I want it to overlook our backyard so I can watch Tony play with the kids. Big doors leading from our bedroom so we can have a nice breeze in the summer. I would like a playroom, but something a bit complex. I want to be able to step up into our office area, which could be protected by a railing so we can watch the little one play while we work.”

“Or little ones,” Thomas smiled. “You are going to be an amazing mom. You are going to be so beautiful as your belly swells with your child and the look of pure love is on your face. What else?”

Ashley sat down in the winged back chair and closed her eyes; she envisioned the home that she wanted to share with Tony. “I’m so sorry, was that too much detail?”

“No,” Thomas smiled. “That was perfect, it’s a beautiful dream. Your love for Tony is extraordinarily strong, you named twenty-three things that you said he would love.”

Ashley made her way into the house, her arms full of bags from this gem of a place she found when she was walking to clear her head one day. “Hello? Tony? Gibbs?” Placing the bags on the table, the concerned woman went looking for the men. “Hello?”

The basement and upstairs showed no signed of the two men, their room would be too weird… or would it. Walking into the bedroom, Ashley was incredibly confused by the bunny on the bed. “Well, looks like Tony decided to go shopping for baby. Oh, your cute little tail has a message for me. Patio?”

Making her way outside, Ashley’s eyes danced across the patio and backyard. Springtime, in December, had touched the Alexandria, Virginia home. “What is this, I brought home food.”

“This, my princess, is a flash back to one of my favorite memories of the last 15 months. Do you remember how much fun our Easter was?” Tony watched as Ashley’s eyes danced with excitement and love.

“Did you fill the eggs?” Ashley giggled. “This was our favorite part! Do you remember when you found the silly putty in your egg? I thought I was going to have to take it away until you opened the rest.”

“I remember,” Tony laughed. “If you find it, I promise not to play with it until after we eat.”

“It’s okay,” Ashley snorted. “I will just have Gibbs do the slap of submission that he does to your head. That sounds sort of kinky, he has to stop. I don’t want to deal with the competition.”

“Oh hell,” Tony burst out laughing. “Bishop showed up earlier, she accused Gibbs and I of being lovers, she thought we were sick. I am homeless too. Honestly, I have no idea what her conclusion is.”

“Her head is about to explode, I bet. I should dress up in my power suit and take a picture for your desk with you kissing the real estate agent.” Ashley laughed. “They would jump to all sorts of conclusions.”

“Want to collect eggs?” Tony laughed. “I had Gibbs hide them, the person that finds the golden egg gets to pick what the outside of the house is constructed of!”

“Oh, game on,” Ashley laughed. “I have been researching this! Here is your basket, this one is mine. I’m going to get more eggs than you do!”

Gibbs stood in the doorway watching as his housemates searched his yard high and low. He had a great time working with Tony to fill the eggs and mapping all the hidden eggs so that nothing got left behind. “Golden egg is going to take you a while,” Gibbs teased through the closed door.

“My basket has more eggs has 22 eggs,” Tony called out. “How many does your have?”

“24,” Ashley answered. “How many more eggs do we have to find?”

“Four more, plus the golden one.” Tony called out as he looked up the leafless tree. “Let me boost you up,” Tony pointed to a branch. 

“Do not let me fall,” Ashley looked from Tony to the branch as she stepped in his hands. “There is nothing up here.”

“Any other ideas?” Tony carried their baskets to the table on the patio. 

“Inside?” Ashley sighed. “I’ll check the bathroom; you check the kitchen.” 

“We have to put the food in the oven,” Tony went into the kitchen to find that Gibbs already had their food warming. “Thank you, Gibbs.” Tony called out. Searching through the kitchen, dining room, and living room, Tony found nothing. Moving to the basement, he looked for clues that anything had been moved. Finding nothing, he made his way upstairs to find Ashley waiting for him. “I found nothing.”

“Let’s go back outside,” Ashley sighed. “We have to be overlooking something simple. Okay, nothing on the furniture, the patio is cleared. What about under the bushes?”

“I’ll get down there,” Tony started to get on the ground when a glint of color caught his eye. “One, Two, three, four.” Tony pulled eggs out of various bushes. “I got the most!”

“We still don’t have the golden egg,” Ashley sighed. Making her way behind the garage, “there is nothing back here. I think that Gibbs is teasing us.”

“Ashley,” Tony called to the woman he loved. Watching her face as she emerged from behind the garage. “I think that we need to go roll a marine for that egg.”

“You could try flirting with him, he is your boyfriend.” Ashley teased, she was feeling very amused by the conclusions that Bishop had jumped to. Moving to open the back door, a splash of color caught Ashley’s eye. “Found it!” Pulling the egg from flower box, Ashley popped it open and gasped. 

“Ashley?” Tony called softly as he got down on one knee. “Will you be my wife?”

“YES!” Launching herself into Tony’s arms, the woman melted around him. “I love you, so much.” A knock at the door pulled the two from their moment of bliss.

“I got it,” Gibbs stepped out of the shadows. “Secretary Porter? Come in.”

“I am sorry to interrupt your evening,” SecNav sighed. “Could I speak to the two of you?”

“I will take a hike,” Ashley sighed, her mood changing at the interruption of their special moment. “I do not mean to be disrespectful, Secretary Porter.”

“Did I interrupt something?” SecNav saw the look being shared between the three people in front of her. “Someone talk to me.”

“Tony and I spent the day setting up a surprise for Ashley,” Gibbs sighed. “So that he could ask her to marry him. Which he had asked her about five minutes before you knocked on the door.”

“I am so sorry,” SecNav rubbed at her forehead. “The food I smell is your celebration dinner?”

“It is,” Ashley stood with her arms crossed. “I know what I am getting into loving and marrying this man, but I did not picture work putting an end to such a happy moment for us.”

“How about this,” Secretary Porter moved to the kitchen. “Let me help you serve your dinner; I will make a phone call to arrange something sinful for a dessert and a snack for later. Breakfast will be on me, tomorrow.”

“Thank you,” Ashley whispered as she grabbed four plates. “You will eat with us, it’s the least I can do for acting like a bitch to you.”

“I would like that,” Sarah smiled. “Only because I am starving, and you have every right to be angry with me. I will discuss top secret information with them at the office, but I think you should hear my offer.”

Luckily, there was enough food for ten people. Shrugging when the men looked at her. “I couldn’t make up my mind, so I got everything that sounded good to me.”

“This is delicious,” Sarah took another bite. “Okay, let me explain what I want so I can get out of your hair. I have established a new department at NCIS, it requires seasons agents to run. I want both of you to be part of this project, I want your input and ideas.”

“What is the initial concept of the department?” Tony was intrigued and extremely interested.

“It is for many things,” SecNav took a drink of her tea. “Part of the job will be white collar type crimes. You will be investigating businesses that are run by our branches of the military. There will be reports filed by the business owners or share holders that shed light on crimes within their company. Another part of the department will work on agent training and development. NCIS has acquired a piece of property with several buildings on it that will serve as your mock crime scene. You will oversee the staging of a crime scene, staging it so well that it stumps the up and coming agents. There is more, but those are the big things.”

“This sounds interesting so far,” Tony looked to Gibbs. “What do you think?”

“I’m intrigued by it,” Gibbs laughed. “The idea of tormenting the up and coming probies is very appealing. Would be stationed at the training site full time?”

“You would,” Secretary Porter nodded. “There are some extra security measures in place at the new location. You will find the building design intriguing and rewarding, I do believe.”

“Normal hours?” Ashley questioned with a great deal of hope.

“Normal hours,” Secretary Porter smiled. “Agent DiNozzo will be home to pull diaper duty. Congratulations on the baby, he told me when I asked him to go on a special assignment. He was fiercely protective of you and this little one, he was not willing to take on extreme risk.”

“He’s going to be one heck of a husband and father,” Ashley smiled as she looked at her ring. “I am going to go clean up the backyard while you three finish talking. Please call me when this amazing sweet tooth satisfier comes.”

“Why did you come here tonight?” Tony questioned as soon as Ashley was out of sight. “This is very out of character for you, ma’am.”

“There have been issues with my security detail,” SecNav sighed. “Things have been happening, that I don’t think I am supposed to think anything of. My brakes on my personal vehicle had a hole in the brake line, leaving me with no fluid. The rug, at the top of the stairs, that is tacked to the floor was loose and I fell down five steps before I could stop myself.”

“Are you hurt?” Gibbs pulled his phone to make a call. “You can trust Dr. Mallard or Dr. Palmer; they will help you and not break your trust.”

“Just a few bruises,” sighing with frustration, Sarah stood up. “There are other things, small things, but they don’t make sense. Your first job will be to investigate my security team.”

“When will we be able to access the new office?” Gibbs questioned. “Are we the only members of this team?”

“No, I was able to recruit Joanna Teague from the CIA and two individuals from cyber crimes for the FBI, Avery Ryan and Daniel Krumitz. I am rather pleased with this team; I trust this team.” SecNav sighed. “It’s only going to work if the two of you are on it to lead it.”

“I’ll do it,” Gibbs nodded at Tony. “What do you think?”

“I’m in,” Tony agreed. 

“Well,” SecNav sighed with relief. “We have a lot of work to do. Your team needs to restructure, Gibbs. Do you feel that any of them are ready to lead a team?”

“No,” Gibbs shook his head. “I think that Director Vance needs to reassign them. I would like to run Torres through the training program when we have it set up. It will be interesting to see how an agent with his variety of experience does.”

“I was actually thinking of running everyone through it to test it out,” Sarah sighed. “I do want to bring in one or two agents to offer input, but the only one that I am thinking would be of any value is Agent Stan Burley.”

“You are right,” Tony paused. “You know, we could bring in Special Agent Valeri Page from the REACT Team.”

“Tony?” Aubrey called out with a quivering voice. “Can you come here?”

“What’s wrong?” Tony ran towards her voice. “What is that?”

“Gibbs,” Tony called to his boss. “Do snakes survive the winter?”

“Where is it?” Gibbs made his way outside with work gloves on. “It belongs to the kid in that blue house. I have told him three times about it.”

“Is it dangerous?” Tony guided Ashley into the house. 

“This one is neglected,” Gibbs growled as he picked him up. “He’s sick. Call animal control while I find something to put him in. Snakes are dangerous to pregnant women due to the salmonella if they are not properly cared for. This snake is a problem for us. We’ll scrub this area as soon as they pick this guy up.”

“I’ll scrub it now,” Tony made his way into the house to grab the supplies. “Secretary Porter, could I ask you a favor? Would you keep and eye on her, she’s shaking, I want to get this cleaned up before it gets dark.”

“I’m not a fan of snakes either,” SecNav said softly as she led Ashley to the dining table. “The desserts came, I think we should indulge while the men are busy. So, you’re an engaged woman now. Do you want a big wedding?”

“I want something small,” Ashley smiled. “I want to celebrate with close friends and Tony’s father.”

“Not your own family?” SecNav questioned softly.

“My parents left a great deal to be desired,” Ashley explained. “I lived with my grandmother more than I did them. Shortly after she died, the school I was working closed, I left. I love my life here; I do not have room for them in my life.”

“Do they know where you are?” Sarah questioned as she folded the lid back on the cheesecake.

“They do,” Ashley stood to get plates and utensils. “The day I left, they told me that I was the biggest regret they have, they did not want kids.”

“My daughter is my world,” Sarah shook her head in disbelief. “Thank goodness you had your grandma.”

“I was her world; we were best friends.” Smiling, Ashley placed the plates on the table. “She would love Tony and I think the two of you would have hit it off. She always admired a woman with that thar nature curly hair, she was a trip.”

“She raised a good woman,” Sarah said softly as she placed a slice of cheesecake on the plate. “I have heard the stories of your classroom students and everything that you do for them. Director Vance is very taken with you and your cause.”

“I am overwhelmed by the love they are showing my students,” Ashley paused. “Those children are going to have a chance now that so many people care.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How is everyone holding up? Things are opening up, numbers are spiking in some areas... things are so frightening. I crave normal, I wish things could go back to how they were pre-Covid … when grocery shopping was just a pain in the ass and not exhausting with everything you do to stay safe! 
> 
> Please let me hear from you, let me know how you are. What would like to see for the wedding? Do you have a wish list for these two? I have some cute stuff coming up, I would love you to weigh in!


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I hope you like the end of this chapter. I have had that idea in my head for weeks LOL

“I am impressed,” Ashley called from the kitchen. “I didn’t think you would really have set hours.”

“We do,” Tony laughed. “In fact, Krumitz programmed it so the lights flash with a ten-minute warning. Before you ask, it was different, and we are going to have to get used to it. Gibbs had a great time.”

“The property is massive and there are so many buildings.” Gibbs explained. “I walked the property with Joanna and Valeri, so we can start mapping out the training. We are making a plan; we want to make sure this project is a success and SecNav keeps it going.”

“Sounds like it’s going to be a nice change of pace,” Ashley smiled brightly. “You look happy.”

“I am happy,” Tony placed his lips on her belly and kissed it. “Hey little one, this is your daddy. Daddy is happy at work because I know that I can keep myself and your grandpa safe.”

“Grandpa?” Gibbs looked shocked. 

“If you would prefer Uncle Gibbs or some other variety of uncle, we understand.” Ashley watched as a smile broke out on Jethro’s face. “We talked about it a lot the last few days, both nervous on what you would think.”

“I think,” Gibbs placed his hand gently on top of Tony’s hand that was resting on Ashley’s belly. “I think grandpa will be just fine.” 

“Are you sure?” Tony whispered softly, as he looked up to see the tears in Jethro’s eyes. “Never mind, just fine means he’s speechless.”

“I think you are going to be an amazing grandparent,” Ashley gently placed her hand on Jethro’s face. “You are an amazing father figure, to both of us”

“I was thinking about our wedding today,” Tony turned to see what Ashley ‘s response was going to be. “I know with building the house and things, you are keeping close watch on how much money we spend.”

“I am,” Ashley looked so shy as she tried to find the words. “This is our wedding, Tony. I do not want big; that is not us. I do want it to be beautiful, memorable for all of us.”

“I want to marry you so much,” Tony wrapped his arms around Ashley from behind. “When do you think we could pull off beautiful and memorable?”

“I think we should start with telling those that we have trusted so far,” Ashley paused. “See what help we can get and take it from there. I was looking into venues during my lunch, today. There is nothing available for a year and a half. We are doing things backwards; I do not want to still be engaged when Elmer makes his way into this world.”

“The two of you keep calling that baby, Elmer, you are going to slip up and that will be on the birth certificate.” Gibbs laughed, these two were rather entertaining without meaning to be.

“What about autopsy?” Tony looked from Ashley to Gibbs. “There would be plenty of room for the guests to sit. The tables could be covered for the reception.” 

*Head slap*

“Okay,” Tony snorted as he rubbed his head. “Not the popular idea. Engagement announcement party, it is.”

“We can do it here,” Gibbs looked around the downstairs realizing that it may not be the best idea. “Let us plan on lunch on Saturday. We have plans to make, let’s figure it out over dinner.”

“Okay,” Ashley paused. “Would it be inappropriate to invite Secretary Porter?”

“We could extend the invitation,” Tony shrugged. “If she doesn’t think it is appropriate, we can make it clear that we won’t be offended.”

“That works,” Gibbs started second list while the duo was planning the food. 

“If we let Rita, at the bakery, know tomorrow that what we need.” Ashley started looking over the list and counting people. “Stan, Brooke, Jimmy, Breena, Leon, Secretary Porter, Jack, Grace, Grace’s husband, Tobias, Ducky and your dad. Is that everyone?”

“Add Leyla and Amira to that list,” Tony nodded in satisfaction. “Mike Franks was one of us, they are our family too.”

“Oh my God,” Ashley shivered. “We almost forgot Thomas! He has to come, he can come through the back, it’s easier to maneuver.”

“Director Vance comes right past his Assisted Living Center on his way here, he can pick him up.” 

The week was busy with preparations for the party. Leyla was excited to help with the cooking and set up, with Amira taking on the task of decorating.

Thursday found Tony at work alone in the all day, he was not sure what happened to Gibbs. By the time he got home, he was becoming somewhat concerned until he walked in the door. “Ashley?”

“Don’t ask me,” Ashley sighed. “I came home, and they were installing the last cabinet and a countertop. Gibbs is downstairs, he put the table from the dining area in the new sitting area in the basement.”

“Gibbs?” Tony hurried down the stairs to find Jethro working on organizing the area of the basement behind the steps. “What is happening?”

“It’s time for me to stop living in the past,” Gibbs looked at the kitchen cabinets and countertop that now adorned the side of the basement. “Second kitchens come in handy sometimes. I work down here a lot so there will be doors going in here so the dust doesn’t get all over everything.”

“Are you sure about this?” Tony was just about speechless.

“I am,” Gibbs nodded. “If I am going to function as grandpa, this house has to be safe for the baby. Sturdy furniture, places for family dinners and memories to be made, it’s time, Tony.”

“I picture us getting all new furniture when we find out we are going to be grandparents,” Ashley laughed as she walked down the steps. “I will crawl through the house to babyproof it again.”

“Plug covers are installed, I am having a tall cabinet installed that will hold the cleaning products at the top. You’re going to like the new layout, more counterspace for the three of us to cook on.” Gibbs shrugged. “I enjoyed doing the design and picking it all out.”

“That is what you have been sketching down here,” Tony laughed. “I didn’t really pay attention, but I really thought it was a fancy boat.”

“I’m going to go get us some dinner,” Ashley glanced over at the table and chairs. “We can eat down here. I will be back soon, don’t do anything fun without me.”

Gibbs sighed. “I had them hang plastic in your doorway. I covered your furniture and vents with plastic, so the dust did not make it too hard to clean up. The contractors will finish up the messy stuff today and we can take that down. I just want it to look nice and be functional when it is done.”

“It’s beautiful,” Tony commented. “Have you been up there since they got started?” 

“I was up there a few hours ago to carry the last cabinet down. Tobias helped me hang them, put him on a step ladder and he can be helpful. The crew came down to help us set the countertop. I had the plumbing done to have a sink down here. I just have to pick it up tomorrow, they had to order what I wanted.”

“Mr. Gibbs?” Ronnie came down the steps. “We’re done with the install. We will get it all cleaned up for you. Jeremiah said to tell you that his buddy has those brackets you were wondering about at this hardware store. He put the number you need behind the counter, just ask for Mike.”

“Tell him, I said thank you.” Gibbs nodded towards the contractor. “Is there any additional charges?”

“No,” Ronnie smiled. “As much as you helped us out, I should be paying you a wage. Your kitchen looks nice, Gibbs; it is a good design and the cabinets look good. I love how walnut looks. Zeb and Zach will be back tomorrow to finish up the pantry, it should only take a couple hours to get the shelves hung. The paint is drying in there now.”

“Do you need help?” Tony looked around. “I can take tomorrow off to help if you want. SecNav has me working a cold case, but I do not have the entire file yet. I am supposed to get it on Tuesday.”

“I look forward to a taller set of hands,” Gibbs laughed. “Tobias is a bit too short to help as much as I need him to.”

“Plus, he can’t talk and work,” Tony sighed. “He talks a lot. I will be up and ready to help as soon as Ashley leaves for work.”

“I’m glad you found her,” Gibbs sighed. “Let’s clear us a place to eat, she’ll be back soon.” 

Friday went smoothly, Tony and Gibbs working in unison to get things done. By the time Ashley got home, all that was left was to cook dinner in the new kitchen. 

“Jethro, you are on dicing duty,” Ashley made her way to the sink. “I will wash off the veggies, you start dicing them and I will help when they are all clean. That lasagna is driving me crazy, so is the garlic bread.”

“Tomorrow is a busy day,” Gibbs commented as he took a bite of his salad. “I will go get the stuff from the bakery early. We can put it in the fridge downstairs.”

“Leyla and Amira will be here around 9:30.” Ashley laughed. “Amira wants to be able to decorate the place real classy like. Wait until she sees the kitchen and this beautiful table that you bought.”

Morning as a flurry of activity, Ashley setting her hair in hot rollers shortly after she woke up to start the process of getting ready so that she could concentrate on getting things set up. Satisfied that everything looked perfect, Ashley and Tony decided to change clothing get ready. 

“Why am I so nervous?” Tony mumbled. “My dad already knows about the baby.”

“I thought I was battling morning sickness,” taking a deep breath, Ashley tried to calm her nerves to get dressed. “I am shaking, what if this isn’t a good idea.”

“Hey,” Grace made her way into the bedroom. “You look beautiful. How are you feeling? You are shaking, what’s wrong?”

Closing the door, Tony motioned for Grace to sit next to Ashley on the bed. “We are having a baby, as you know. Many of them do not know that yet. What you don’t know is…”

“He asked me to marry him and I said yes.” Gasping when Grace pulled her into a hug, Ashley allowed herself to relax. “I am so scared that they are going to be angry.”

“Angry for what?” Grace looked from Ashley to Tony. “What’s wrong?”

“What if they think I trapped you?” Ashley looked to Tony. “I love you; I do not want anything between us because of the perception of that you have shared your life with for the last 20 years.”

“You do not have to worry about this group,” Grace reassured. “We love you, both. I’ve talked with Jack and she is so happy that Tony found someone to love.”

“Ready to do this?” Tony took Ashley’s hand. “Let’s go blow them away with our happiness.”

“Tony,” Vance extended a hand in greeting as he leaned to kiss Ashley’s cheek. “I was just downstairs, the work in the living area down there is good work.”

“It was a good to build things with him,” Tony sighed. “The end result made it worth the sore thumb. I missed a few times with the hammer.”

“I do that all the time,” Vance laughed. “Would swear that I am right on that nail, until I am holding my thumb cursing in pain.”

“Comes as a shock when the pain sets in,” Tony held up his black and blue thumb. “Gibbs assures me that I will get better.”

“You will, young man.” Thomas teased as he grabbed Tony in a hug. “Thank you for inviting me today, I am very curious to see what is bringing us all together.”

“Let’s get this over with,” Ashley took a deep breath. “Before I throw up.”

“Could everyone please have a seat at the table?” Tony called out to the group. “We need to talk to you for a few minutes before we eat.” 

“Secretary Porter,” Ashley hugged her new friend. “Sit next to me, I want to show you something in a little while.”

“What did you want us all together for?” Jack questioned as she sat down.

“We have two things to say,” Ashley sighed. “This is going to sound mean, but we need you to stay seated until we are done speaking.”

“Thank you for coming today,” Tony made sure to look at everyone sitting at the table. “You are here today because you are the group of people that we trust. I am very proud to announce, that I proposed to this beautiful woman and she said yes. Along with that, we would also like to add that we are twelve weeks pregnant and extremely excited.”

“Oh my God,” Jack had to hold onto the sides of her seat to keep seated. 

“You can hug us in a couple minutes,” Ashley laughed as she watched the desperation in the faces of those at the table. “Gibbs, can you come up here with us?”

“The three of us have discussed this the last week,” Tony pointed to the kitchen. “While we were working on the kitchen and basement, we decided that we need the ingenuity of our friends to come up with a wedding before the end of the year.”

“We are being crazy, but it’s important to use to get married in the same year that we got pregnant.” Ashley shrugged. “It’s a me thing, these two are indulging me. Now, you may hug, so we can eat.”

“Okay,” Grace blew out a breath as she moved to find her purse. “I have a tablet in here somewhere, it’s a tool of the trade. We need to make a list of what we need to accomplish and get started.”

“Venue?” Secretary Porter looked at the couple. “That’s the biggest challenge on short notice, isn’t it? Let me make a phone call, I think I have a place.”

Stepping outside, Secretary Porter made a phone call, returning shortly with a smile on her face. “I secured you something amazing, it’s no charge because they owe me a favor. The problem is the dates. They can allow us there Monday, December 23rd.”

“Nine days,” Ashley looked to the others. “Okay, we have nine days. I picked out my wedding dress on Thursday when I went to pick up our dinner. I am sure she can get the alterations done in time, it wasn’t much.”

“Flowers, music, food, minister and rings.” Grace looked to the couple. 

“Rings, we can take care of those this week. We have a lot of Christmas shopping to do. We can pick up the decorations then too.” Tony turned to Amira. “Will you do us the honor of helping us pick them out and using your talent to decorate for our wedding?”

“Yes!” Amira sighed. “I can’t wait to help you. I have to come up with ideas. I can go with you whenever you need me to, I will be out of school starting Wednesday.”

“Food?” Grace looked at the group.

“That could be a bit tough,” Vance looked at the group. “What if we all cooked a dish and did a potluck type meal?”

“Are we the extent of your wedding guests?” Stan questioned as he looked around the room.

“No,” Ashley sighed. “There will be twelve more people, I have friends from work coming, but being that close to Christmas, they may cancel. Thomas, we would want your family too.”

“We could all decide on dishes,” Jack suggested. “Reach out to a place of our choice to see if they can make one dish for seventy-five people. That would keep the burden off one company.”

“Sounds good,” Jack smiled.

“I just texted my daughters and daughters in law,” Thomas started laughing as his phone started to ding. “They all want to come, and they will make cookies and other desserts. You really want them to do that, they have their mother’s gift for delicious sweets.”

“Thank you,” Ashley hugged her friend. “Now, flowers. Do we go with something that is holiday related?”

“No,” SecNav stepped up. “You speak with the florist, see what they can provide in the quantity that you need and go with that. This is your magic day, you want something that you pick, not something you settled for.”

“We can go on Monday to see about flowers,” Ashley sighed. “Can we do this by the 23rd?”

“We can do this,” Senior reassured. “I will make a phone call to see if my friend Mario can do the cake, it will be my gift to you. I am getting a daughter in law and a grandbaby. You’ve made me incredibly happy and proud.”

The days leading up to the 23rd were busy, with Christmas just two days beyond the wedding, the couple wanted to have everything ready for the holiday in order to make the most of the Christmas before the baby.

“Okay,” Tony collapsed on the sofa in the living room. “Two days to go and everything is confirmed. This is exhausting.”

“Guys?” Ashley called nervously from the back door. “Gibbs, I got you a present. Now, before you get upset, I can’t handle the thought of you being here, alone, after the house is built.”

“What did you do?” Tony sat up straight, he was praying that it wasn’t something that was going to get them kicked out.

“They called her Priscilla, at the shelter, but you can name her whatever you want. As you can see, she’s a brown and white terrier. Sit! Good girl!” 

“I think you look more like an Alice,” Gibbs watched as the dog backed away. “Okay, that’s not one you like. Do you like Celeste? Nope, how about Charlie?” Charlie was the winner, soon Gibbs had a lap full of dog giving him sweet puppy kisses.

“She was going to be put down tomorrow,” Ashley wiped a tear. “I could not let them kill that sweet dog. I hope it’s okay.”

“This is the best gift that I have been given in a while,” Gibbs laughed as Charlie went belly up in his lap. “We need to get you a few things.”

“I got her a kennel, bowls, a ball, leash and collar to get you started.” Handing over the bag, Ashley unclipped the leash. “She’s a good girl, they were all so happy to see her get adopted. I put the papers in your name and her microchip is in your name too.”

“You’re going to give my surprise away,” Gibbs laughed as Charlie ran to the basement door and started to whine. “Come on.” Making his way down the basement steps, Gibbs emerged with a puppy in his arms. “I had the same idea. This one is a Japanese Chin, unnamed. She’s already a very smart girl.”

“Oh my gosh,” Ashley took the puppy and started kissing the little dog. “Puppy breath. Where did Tony go?”

“Right here,” Tony walked into the house from the garage with two Cavalier King Charles puppies. “One of the agents breeds them, he needed the money to buy gifts for his kids.”

“Oh my gosh,” Ashley laughed. “We have four dogs. I am going to call you Sadie and Shelby. I love them!”

“Well little one,” Gibbs took the puppy so that he could show Charlie. “What do you say to the name Jasmine, but Jaz for short? Yeah, that’s a very good name.”

Tony stood in the middle of the living room confused, four dogs should have caused an uproar…. Instead he was listening to full conversations in numerous dog voices coming from his housemates.


	11. Chapter 11

“I cannot believe that you were able to book this,” Ashley looked around The Kennedy Center. “This is so beautiful; I see it on TV every year. Cher, Reba, Lily Tomlin, Rita Moreno, Carole King, Sally Field, Oprah.. I could go on and on. Oh, the Muppets, that was adorable.”

“I have arranged to have your pictures taken in various parts of the building,” Secretary Porter watched as Ashley continued to look around in amazement. “Just so you know, the groom is just as star struck as you. He was giving Gibbs the statistics on the Kennedy Center Honorees when I came to find you.”

“Photographer? Oh my God, we forgot to hire a photographer.” Ashley’s heart was in her throat.

“You did not forget,” Thomas made his way into the building. “My son in law is an incredibly talented photographer, he has his work in shows across D.C., New York and a few have made a show here or there in Europe. He and Lorelei are incredibly grateful for what you have brought to my life, this is their gift to you.”

“If you are done bragging,” Mark teased. “I have some amazing shots of the groom getting ready, let’s get some of you getting ready and then I will mark off the best places for the photos in here.” Mark and Thomas started on their mission to find the perfect spots for photos remembering the enthusiasm that both the bride and groom had shown regarding the history of the venue.

“Ducky,” Ashley hugged her friend. “I am so glad that you are here. Would you do me a favor and find Jethro? Meet me back here in five minutes?”

“I will be right back,” Ducky made his way to the area of the building where Tony was getting ready. “Jethro, Ashley has asked to see us. Anthony, you are looking very handsome and your bride is glowing.”

“I’ll be right back,” Gibbs squeezed Tony’s shoulder in support as he turned to Jimmy and Stan. “Be here for him, I will be back as quickly as I can.”

“Hey,” Ashley greeted the two men with a hug. “Today is the day that I have been dreaming of since I was eight years old and using a doily as a veil. Funny thing about your dreams, when you reflect on them later, you realize some very hard truths. My dream wedding never included my parents, I knew that no matter what I wanted for my life they would not be supportive. Today is going to be magical because I have people that I love like family to support us through every single step of the way.”

“My dear,” Ducky took Ashley’s hand in his own. “How can we make sure that it is perfection?”

“I know that we had a rocky start, I had an awfully hard time trusting everyone. That is on me, and I apologize for it. I love you both, very much. Would you do me the honor of walking me down the aisle?” Ashley sighed and she stood and started to walk to the location of where the wedding would take place. “Ducky, I was thinking you could walk me from where I am getting ready, through the arch and when we get to the chairs, it would be Jethro’s turn. However, I would want you to follow close behind.”

“Oh Ashley,” Ducky’s eyes filled with tears. “I would be honored to accompany you down the aisle. Jethro?”

“I would love nothing more,” Gibbs turned to walk away, Ducky giving Ashley a look of apology. 

“It’s okay,” Ashley kissed the side of Ducky’s face. “When I am dressed, I will call out for you. Make sure that Tony doesn’t run, tell him that Elmer wants to be married to daddy.”

“Elmer?” Ducky laughed. “I can see Anthony Senior having a stroke over that name. Elmer DiNozzo does not have a regal ring to it.”

“Jethro,” Ashley walked up to where Gibbs was gazing out over the city. “Are you okay? I don’t want you to feel like I am trying to replace Kelly. You are the closest that I have ever come to having a father in my life. My biological father was mentally, physically, and emotionally abusive towards me. I was not the son that he wanted; all I was to him was a reminder of the child he did not feel he was man enough to create. You have shown me nothing but patience, love and helped me grow as a person. The woman that I was when I met you months ago, she is gone.”

“You did that,” Gibbs whispered as he continued to gaze over the city.

“I did,” Ashley laughed. “However, I had an amazing guide to help me grow. Do you know that I have learned more from you these last months than I have learned from any man in my lifetime? I took part in building something with my hands, for my family. Gibbs, that is so amazing to be able to look at Tony’s face on Christmas morning and know that I helped make what put that smile there. You taught me how to hammer a nail, run a drill, the proper way to stain and how to pick out a respirator that would keep the baby safe. You taught me that it is okay to finally admit that I cannot do everything alone, in my life. Fate gave me Tony, destiny created our bond, love creates this baby, but you gave us a family.”

“Walking you down the aisle,” Gibbs reached blindly for Ashley’s hand. “Will give me the chance to do something that I have felt cheated out of all these years. I have imagined her wedding, her face as the man she loves drops to one knee.”

“You’ve yearned to have her on your arm as the wedding march plays so that your heart can burst as you hand her over to start her life.” Ashley sighed. “I know, Gibbs. My wedding dreams always included walking down the aisle alone, knowing that my biological family was not to part of that picture. I was watching as everyone started to walk in to help us get ready and I realized, I am not alone anymore. I have this beautiful group of people that share not just our lives, but our love and joy.”

“I need to go tell Tony that I cannot be his best man,” Gibbs leaned down to kiss Ashley’s cheek.

“Yes, you can.” Ashley made her way down the aisle, pretended to hand over the bride and moved to stand beside the groom. “He wanted Stan to be there too, so he can stand beside him until we get to the point that you can take your place. You are multitasking. I need to talk to Grace and her husband!”

“I am going to go check on Tony while you get ready, I will find Grace and send her your way. I am sure Leyla and Amira are waiting for you to come get dressed too.” Gibbs escorted Ashley to the bride’s room to begin getting ready. 

“Hey,” Grace stepped into the room. “You look so beautiful and happy. Gibbs said you wanted to see me.”

“Would you sit up front, with your husband, in the place that my parents would sit if I wanted them here?” Ashley watched the love and joy settle on Grace’s face.

“We would be honored,” hugging her friend, she placed a gentle hand on her belly. “Elmer, I will be happy to represent your family. I will even carry it on when you show your gorgeous face, I promise to spoil you. Gibbs explained how he and Ducky are giving you away. He’s overjoyed.”

“Tell Tony that I love him,” Ashley hugged her friend. “Tell him, I am the happiest that I have been in my whole life.”

The moment came for Leyla and Amira to take their places to walk down the aisle, a true sign of love, friendship, and family. With Ashley on Ducky’s arm, she clenched her bouquet tightly as she took a deep breath to settle her nerves. “I love him so much.” 

“You are making him a very happy man today,” Ducky started down the aisle, his heart bursting with pride to have taken such an important role in the wedding. Handing the bride over to Jethro, Ducky smiled as he looked up to see Tony with tears streaming down his face as he watched his fiancé take the arm of his best friend. 

“He loves you with his soul,” Gibbs whispered as he watched Stan hand Tony a tissue to wipe his eyes.

“Doubly blessed is the couple which comes to the marriage altar with the approval and blessings of their families and friends. Who has the honor of presenting this woman to be married to this man?" Judge Newell questioned.

“We do,” Gibbs, Ducky, Grace, and Mr. Confalone answered in unison.

“That was so cool,” Ashley giggled as she stepped up to take Tony’s hands in her own.

“I have been asked to allow these two beautiful people to have their moment, I do believe Secretary Porter’s words were just do the stuff that makes it a legal union. So, Ashley…” Judge Newell winked as the attendees laughed.

“You have changed my life,” Ashley blew out a breath. “You taught me how to cook and showed me how to defend myself and think on my feet. Beyond that, you taught me how to love, to accept and forgive. You showed me the beauty in love and life. You gave me permission to dream when I thought there was nothing left to dream about. When I was feeling broken, you showed me that I am not powerless over my future. You have made me feel beautiful with a glance. You have made me feel alive with a kiss. You have given me hope when I felt hopeless. You make me feel loved and safe. You have shown me that our lives are just beginning, and that tomorrow is a gift, a beautiful gift. You have made me want to strive to be better tomorrow than what I was today. I love you with all my heart and I promise that no matter what life brings I will honor our love, cherish you and stand by you through good times and bad. I vow to be the other half of your heart, I promise that every day, I will support your dreams and love you unconditionally.”

Kissing Ashley, Tony tightened his grip on her hands as she struggled to bring his tears under control.

“Head slap him,” Ashley whispered to Gibbs, giggling when Jethro reached up and squeezed Tony’s neck instead.

“Ashley,” Tony whispered softly, his voice gaining more strength as he spoke. “The gift of your love has been the best gift that I have ever received. You have seen me and loved me through the worst days of my job. When it was time for the nightmares to set in, you wrapped me in love to keep the monsters at bay. At the end of a day, when I feel like everything in life is hopeless and there nothing left of me, you kiss me back together when I am falling apart. I know you find my choice at cheesy movies funny, but there was one, the other day, that had a song in it that said everything that I was struggling to find the words to say. You kiss me back together when I am falling apart. When the music is gone, I am dancing to the beat of your heart. You are the breath in my lungs when the gravity is pulling me under. I could win any war, I could face any storm, I could conquer the world with just one hand if you are holding the other. If you are holding the other, I can do anything.”

“Oh Tony,” Ashley sobbed.

“I love you so much. I love the way you laugh. I love the little dimple you get when you cannot stop smiling. I love it when you get fired up and want to fight with me, I love it when we make up. Everyday, for the rest of my life, I am going to spend it striving to be a better man that I was the day before. I am going to love you and this baby with everything that I am. I vow to be your best friend, your lover, and your confidant. I vow to love you though it all, until I draw my last breath. I vow to be a good father and an even better daddy.”

“Ashley and Anthony, I am honored to be the officiant of your ceremony today, to witness the magnitude of love that you share. I am reminded of The Promise by Heather Berry: 

Within this blessed union of souls,  
Where two hearts intertwine to become one,  
There lies a promise perfectly born,  
Divinely created, and intimately shared,  
It is a place where the hope and majesty of beginnings reside.  
Where all things are made possible by the astounding love shared by two spirits.  
As you hold each other’s hands in this promise,  
And eagerly look into the future in each other’s eyes,  
May your unconditional love and devotion take you to placed were you’ve both only dreamed.  
Where you’ll dwell for a lifetime of happiness,  
Sheltered in the warmth of each other’s arms.

By the power vested in me, in the District of Columbia, it is my great honor to pronounce you husband, wife and family. You may kiss your bride.”

“Look at the stars,” Ashley whispered as they walked into the ballroom for the reception. “Wait, Tony, they have messages from my children on them. Oh my gosh, how special is this.”

“On the tables,” Tony pointed out. “Those centerpieces are done by the teachers at your school. I promised them that we would have a party so they can celebrate with us. The ones that were available to come are here, the others sent messages.”

“You’ve been busy, Mr. DiNozzo.” Ashley teased as she pulled Tony close. 

“I wanted you to feel loved, Mrs. DiNozzo. I wanted you to have no regrets about putting this wedding together so last minute.” Tony swayed lightly to the music. “I wanted this to be magic.”

“We’re a family,” Ashley pulled away so she could put Tony’s hand on her stomach. “We are legally, a family now.”

The couple danced the night away taking turns spinning their guests around the dance floor. They decided to skip the traditional speeches, smashing of the cake into faces and opt for a more civilized, calm ceremony.

“Tobias,” Ashley hugged their friend. “Are you having a nice time?”

“Food is good,” Fornell snorted. “Would you want to dance with me?”

“I would love to dance with you,” Ashley allowed their friend to lead her to floor. For all the qualities that make Fornell, Fornell, they had found that when he relaxed and was just Tobias, he was a good guy. 

“You look beautiful,” Fornell whispered. “Thank you for asking Gibbs to give you away, you gave him something that life cheated him out of. He’s changing because he has a purpose outside of the job now. The DiNozzo Family living with him has been life changing for him. He’s excited about the baby, I don’t think he even realizes how excited he is.”

“He is going to be an amazing grandfather,” Ashley looked up to see Tony dancing with Secretary Porter next to them. “You will be an amazing, doting uncle.”

“You would want me to be part of Elmer’s life?” Tobias was in shock.

“We want Tobias to be part of this baby’s life, you can leave Fornell on the street when you visit. I don’t like that ass of a man, but I love Tobias.” Ashley watched as Tobias struggled to grasp what she was saying, and Secretary Porter struggled not to laugh.

“You should dip her,” Tony snorted know that Ashley would probably come up swinging.

“That’s a set up,” Tobias snorted, his attention turning to Gibbs. “Jethro looks tired. Think he is okay?”

“It’s been a busy day,” Tony commented. “We have all been up since 5 a.m. with your new house mates, we had major guilt about leaving them.”

“House mates?” Tobias questioned. 

“Well, I got Gibbs a puppy. Gibbs got us a puppy, Tony got Gibbs a puppy, Tony got me a puppy.” Ashley laughed as Tobias stopped to count.

“You have four puppies in your house, and I am just hearing about this?” Fornell released his dance partner to go talk to his friend. “Jethro, let’s go check on the puppies.”

“I’m more than ready to go,” Ashley whispered. “How do we make a graceful exit?” 

“Allow me,” Secretary Porter found Ashley’s friends from work. “The bride is tired; she needs to go home. Do you have any ideas on how we get them out of here without upsetting everyone?”

“I do,” Maria laughed. “We’ve been here for almost seven, counting the forty-five minutes that we followed them around this amazing building for pictures. I need to get home too. Allow me.”

“Okay everyone!” Maria stepped into the middle of the room. “It’s time to see the bride and groom off. It’s time for us to return to our homes and get ready for Santa to come.”

“May I?” Stan stepped up next to Maria. “I know that you wanted to skip the speeches and fuss, I think your words were let’s get hitched and party. Before we send you off to enjoy your life, I wanted to say thank you. Your love and friendship have meant so much to every one of us in this room. You have changed lives, made this world a better place to live. As you look around, you see the stars that are hanging from the ceiling. I don’t know if you realized this but are over 700 stars. Ashley, even if you did not have one of the star makers in your class, I have been told you still touched and changed their lives through so many things you have organized over the years. Tony, you put your life on the line, every day, to keep us safe and to bring justice. This world is brighter because of you two. My life is blessed because I can call you friends. I wish you a lifetime full of joy and many more laughs and adventures. I cannot wait to meet your baby and to watch the love you share reflect in that child’s life.”

“Anthony and Ashley, it has been my great privilege to be a part of your lives these last few months. I have watched my precious friend come back to life as his love grew for the woman that was meant to be his wife. I commented for months that something was going on with you, Tony, but it was a good something and I did not dare taint it with my overly inquisitive nature. I felt so honored when you allowed me to share in your joy. These last few weeks have brought the news of a baby, a wedding, a lot more love that I feel that I deserve and the great honor of being uncle to your beautiful child. My wish for you is a life filled with wonder, so that every day is an adventure to keep the love and spark alive. I wish you patience and gratitude, to balance the adversities that life may challenge you with. I wish you love. Thank you for allowing me to be part of this incredibly special day and your incredible journey. I look forward to watching your child or children if you are blessed grow up and see the reflections of you in them.” Ducky stepped aside to join Stan and Brooke.

“Tony, you are my best friend. When I was nothing more than the autopsy gremlin, you saw something in me that formed a friendship. What you do not realize is that you helped me gain confidence. While Dr. Mallard and Agent Gibbs have been amazing father figures in my life, you have been the big brother that taught me about life. Several years ago, I came to you when I was ready to ask Breena to become my wife. I feared what the others were going to say, but you gave me the best advice that day. You told me that I did not need anyone’s permission to be happy, that it was my choice and my life. I want to offer you that same advice today. Be happy. Take the time to feel the part of your love that touches your soul and enjoy life, it is the memories that you make that are the most important.” Palmer raised a glass to his friend before stepping aside to join his wife.

“You’ve changed a lot, Tony.” Gibbs stepped into the middle of the room. “You are a good agent, a good man and a good friend. You have grown and conquered a lot of adversity through the years. Ashley’s love completed you, it filled you up and made you whole in a way that only love can. You both have brought so much to my life and you will bring so much more to it in the future, thank you. My wish for you is that every day is like today and that every yesterday has no regrets. You, Mr. and Mrs. DiNozzo, deserve every happiness.”

“Gibbs,” Tony and Ashley walked up to their house mate. 

“I love you both,” Gibbs whispered as he hugged the couple. “Let’s go home, the girls are probably missing us.”

“Let’s do one group picture before you go,” Mark yelled as he pulled everyone into the center of the room. “Beautiful! I will upload these to your email tonight, and we will see what you want printed, etc. Thank you for allowing us to be part of this special day. Thomas is moved beyond words; he had a speech prepared but was too choked up to give it.”

“We will see him this week, I want to introduce him to the puppies.” Ashley laughed. “I am going to go steal a hug from him and then we will go.” The newly married couple took the time to hug all their friends and whisper their gratitude to them. 

“Secretary Porter,” Ashley and Tony met the woman of authority in the room with the coats. 

“Thank you for this,” Ashley pulled the woman into a tight hug. “We feel very blessed to have you as part of our team. You said something, in one of our talks about the wedding, that stuck with me. Text us after you get home.”

“Okay,” SecNav sighed, a bit confused. “This is going to make sense later?”

“It will,” Tony winked. “Thank you, Ma’am for making this a dream wedding for us. My gratitude and admiration for you has grown.”

Secretary Porter was thrown by the presence of her daughter, in a horse drawn carriage waiting for her when she got home. “I got a phone call asking me if I would do this with you. I guess you told someone about how much you loved the time we did this when I was 2. I do not remember that one, but I will remember this one for the rest of my life.”

“Me too,” Sarah Porter pulled the blanket over her lap as she pulled out her phone and sent a text that was simply a heart, followed by a selfie. “This is magic.”


	12. Chapter 12

Note: Hello everyone! I am so sorry! I got sick (Not CoVid), been on meds to fight an infection and just felt like sleeping a lot. 

Here is the next chapter ... it's long.... heavy at times... fun at times..... sweet... get your tissues, your drink of choice and a snack....... Enjoy!

The ride from the wedding to home was full of chatter about the evening, Gibbs having a lot of laughs at the expense of Tobias and Vance. “Who taught Leon that arm flapping move?” Gibbs laughed as he pulled into the driveway.

“Oh no,” Tony gulped at the presence of Tim and Eleanor on the porch. “Guess we need to get this over with. Go in through the back, I will get rid of them.”

“No,” Ashley sighed. “I’ve got this.” Making her way out of the car, thankful to have changed back into her jeans at this point. “What can we do for you?”

“You’re the real estate agent,” Bishop was confused. “She was a total bitch to me when I looked at Tony’s place.”

“I was a total bitch to you because you thought that you were going to pull a fast one over on my husband.” Ashley snapped. “I know how little that you think of Tony, I have heard all the things you have done over the years to try to discredit him and his work as an agent. Right now, you are just sour that your efforts landed you with my dear friend, Stan as your lead agent until they decide on your new assignments.”

“Husband?” Tim whispered as he looked up to meet Tony’s eyes. “You got married without us being there?”

“I did. It was my our very special day. I wanted to concentrate on us and the love we have for each other. I love her,” Tony held up the bag that contained Ashley’s wedding dress. “She was a beautiful bride; the night was pure magic and the most important people in our lives were invited.”

“Who?” Bishop snapped.

“Secretary Porter, Director Vance, Dr. Confalone, Leyla and Amira, Tobias,” Gibbs rattled off a few names. “Just to name a few. You need to go; we have had an extremely long day.”

“This is a new low,” Bishop snapped. “Even for the two of you. I mean I have overlooked the crap that you have handed down over the years, stating it was a learning experience. Correcting our papers like we were children? Trust falls, fitness evaluations. Not to mention to stupid comments on our performance evaluations that have no bearing on our jobs.”

“Such as?” Ashley stepped in front of Tony and Gibbs with her arms crossed over her chest.

“That I food associate, that my ability to recall details is sometimes limited until I see the crime scene photos. I lack dedication at times.” Bishop snipped. “All a load of crap.”

“So, if you are in court and you need a plate of pasta to remember the details on a dead body do you call for takeout? On the witness stand, how do you relay the details of a case if you cannot recall them? How do you write an accurate report to put someone away for the crime they committed if you cannot recall the details?” Ashley questioned only to have Gibbs move to stand beside her.

“Bishop, you have been distracted trying to live the life of Ziva David,” Gibbs stare was hard and made Ellie take a step back. “I followed you a number of times, I have seen you working with Odette. I know what you did on the Zolotov case, I didn’t witness it, but my gut knows.”

“You aren’t come back to the team?” Tim looked from Gibbs to Tony, he needed to take control of the conversation. “I thought this was just a special assignment from Secretary Porter.”

“It is a special assignment,” Tony pulled Ashley close. “It is also permanent; we were handpicked for it. You are now assigned to Team Burley until Director Vance decides if you will work as a team. Now, if you will excuse us, our daughters are waiting for us. They have been home alone for hours.”

“Just how long have you two been involved?” Bishop snapped.

“Long enough to have two four legged daughters that we love very much,” Tony pushed by his former teammates. “You need to leave and if I see you back here again, I will report you to Director Vance.”

“So, you get married, get dogs and have to move in with Gibbs?” Bishop was not letting anything go. “None of what you are saying is adding up.”

“If you were any kind of an agent,” Gibbs got in Bishop’s personal space. “You would see that all evidence points to the fact that we do not want you here. I was hoping to keep a civil relationship, but I see that is not going to work. I have told you before to stay out of my business, now I am putting you on notice too. Leave my property, I am disappointed in both of you. McGee go home to your family, it’s Christmas.”

“Let’s go,” McGee pulled Bishop away from Gibbs, his heart broken at the loss of his team and family. “You’ve caused enough damage.”

“Tim,” Gibbs called out to the younger man. “You need to stop being a follower. If you had been more of a leader, you wouldn’t be part of this conversation.”

“Tony,” McGee called out to his former friend. “Congratulations, I hope that you both are very happy together and that you find peace and joy in the lives that you share.”

“Girls,” Ashley yelled as she walked into the house. “We are home, babies. Oh, my goodness, listen to those whines.” Opening the doors to the crates, they pulled Shelby and Sadie out and enjoyed the happy puppy kisses.

“Let’s go potty,” Tony repeated over and over as they walked towards the door. “Potty, good girls. Oh boy, potty time!”

“Are you two okay?” Gibbs made his way outside with Jasmine and Charlie. “I did not expect them to show up like that. I will talk to Vance tomorrow; they need to be stopped.”

“We are fine,” Ashley leaned into Tony, she was so tired from such a busy day. “A good night’s sleep, we will go out early and finish up the shopping since we need to shop for the girls now.”

“Want some company?” Gibbs looked down at his baby girls, he felt the overwhelming need to spoil them this holiday.

“We’d love it,” Ashley laughed. “I promise, we will not be gone all day. Mommy wants to play with you and give you kisses. I have to make today up to you, I do.”

“We need to figure out a gift for Tobias too,” Tony sighed. “He has been pretty supportive, so we need to make sure we include him.”

“He is not as hard as you think,” Gibbs snorted. “I’ll help you with that, if you help me with Leyla and Amira.”

“Done!” Ashley laughed. “We put a spending limit on the gifts so that Leyla would not stretch herself thin, there was one more thing for both I really wanted to get so now you can do that. They are beautiful ladies; they just need someone to look after them a bit. They need family. We are meeting Maria and her daughter at the entrance; she needs help sneaking gifts for Ava.”

“I will be ready to go by 6:30 a.m., so we are there when they open at 7 a.m.?” Gibbs looked from Tony to Ashley, as his friends laughed. “Unless you wanted to go later?”

“No, I am laughing because I had the same talk with Tony yesterday morning. We need to be there when they open, get in and get out. By the time we get through with Christmas shopping, we will have time to stop at the grocery store. We can be home before the real world gets out of bed. I have a ton of wrapping paper, so don’t worry about even picking any of that up.” Ashley paused. “Wait, you’re going to be with me so I will just tell you two what to buy.”

“Sorry, boss.” Tony laughed.

“Don’t be,” Gibbs snorted in laughter. “This will be the easiest shopping trip on my books, I get dictated to and throw down the credit card. I don’t have to think until we get to the grocery store.”

“You may want to sit in the car,” Tony chuckled. “Her cravings go off the charts when we are shopping, she puts the food in the cart, I set it back on the shelves.”

“That’s where it goes,” Ashley grumbled. “I really wanted those cheesecake brownies the last time, I cried for twenty minutes when they weren’t in the bags.”

“Hormones,” Tony sighed. “It will be okay.”

Tony and Ashley slept hard, both groaning when the alarm went off at 5:30 a.m. “Why are we up so early?” Tony mumbled as he pulled Ashley closer.

“Shopping for our girls,” Ashley laughed. “Don’t forget if you see him eye something signal Maria. I am picking up what Ava looks at longingly. She hates crowds so she will rush her mom through the store.”

“Good thing we explained all this to Gibbs last night, he would have been a bit confused.” Tony shrugged. “He would have gone with the flow though; he loves kids, and this will be a good memory for him.”

“He looked so happy when I asked him to walk me down the aisle,” Ashley commented as she stretched to get out of bed. “That smile, I want to make sure we see it a lot more often. He deserves to be happy, Tony.”

“I know,” Tony kissed his wife. “We love him, so we can make that happen.”

Gibbs swallowed hard, the lump of emotion settling in his throat. There was something so different about having Tony and Ashley in his home, it brought life and it felt right. Making his way into the kitchen, he pulled the muffins that he made for breakfast out of the oven, vowing that today was going to be full of memories.

“This is something that I wanted to get Leyla,” Ashley pointed to a throw that she was in love with.

“It’s knitted like a sweater.” Gibbs picked up the item and placed his hand between the folds. “That is so warm, she will love this. Does Amira need one too?”

“She does,” Ashley made her way to the row. “I thought this color of the same blanket, so they can tell them apart and Amira is all about being colorful.” 

“She will love this; she was complaining about how cold it gets in there. I am going to go over and see about the windows, they may need sealed.” Gibbs waited until Ashley turned her back to look at something before slipping two more of the throws into his cart.

Tony catching the fascination, he managed to snag a dark blue one for his friend. “I should get them something too,” Tony started looking up and down the aisle. “A little help here, wife.” 

“Amira mentioned that her room is very dark,” Ashley stated as she watched her friend’s daughter, Ava, looking at lamps. “Ava, can you help me pick out a lamp for Tony to get Amira?”

“This one is great; it has a plug for an electronic device and the shade is so cool.” Ava wandered off a bit ahead, her eyes taking in everything that could make a young lady’s room special.

“Well, you heard Ava. It’s this lamp and I think for Leyla, you should get her this plant stand, she keeps moving those poor plants from table to table. She has plenty of room for it and I can help her put it together while you two work on the windows.” Ashley watched Ava’s fascination with the small appliances, her hand making their way over the popcorn popper box.

“I got it,” Tony whispered as he watched Ava move on. “We can spoil Ava and Maria a little bit, they are good friends.”

“Gibbs,” Ava made her way around the corner. “You know anything about women and hats? Mom wants a hat and I need to get her a present.”

“Well,” Gibbs studied Maria hoping she would give him a signal as to whether she really wanted a hat. Seeing a shake of her head, he watched as she signaled gloves, hat, and scarf. “The good hats for women are not out right now, but what if you get her this! It’s a nice set and that hat is very fashionable; I only know because I have seen people wearing them.”

Hugging Gibbs tight, Ava whispered a thank you as she placed the item in her own cart and started looking for another set.

“She is a good kid,” Gibbs commented as Tony joined him to watch Ashley pluck items from the shelves for Maria to purchase. “She is going to be so happy when she opens those gifts.”

With the shopping done, including the hard to pick gift for Tobias, the trio headed for the grocery store. Gibbs had already decided that the mommy of the family was going to get whatever she was craving, Tony was doing what he felt was right by Ashley, so was Gibbs. 

“I want the cheesecake brownies,” Ashley growled at Tony when he moved to put them back on the shelf. “Anthony DiNozzo, I want the darn brownies. Leave them in the cart.” Removing his hand from the brownies, Tony waited until Ashley turned the corner to put them back, unaware that Gibbs put them in his own cart.

Tony was confused by the number of grocery bags that were being placed in the back seat, unsure of which party purchased what at that point, he decided to wait until they got home to investigate.

“Gibbs,” Tony gasped. “You got her everything she was craving in the store; she’s going to regret that later.”

“No,” Gibbs laughed. “You will. You have to give into some of them, Tony. Her body is going through so much. You have to let her get some relief and pleasure.”

“Since it is Christmas,” Tony sighed. “I will let it slide.”

“Don’t live in the baby books, Tony. Enjoy this pregnancy, stop trying to be perfect and just be a good husband and dad.” Gibbs gently offered advice. “You’re meant to do this.”

“What do we want for lunch?” Ashley looked through the groceries as she was putting them away. “We have such a selection; we don’t have to run to the store except for milk and eggs until after the new year. Gibbs, we didn’t mean for you to buy groceries.”

“I eat too,” Gibbs snorted. “I know that you are trying to stay on top of the groceries, and you had the leaves picked up, hired someone to salt in the ice and snow. You do not need to chip in, this has been good for all of us to have you here. I appreciate everything you are doing, very much. Just relax, the holidays are supposed to be fun. Let’s get the girls out and play with them. We have to wrap presents, stuff stockings, sneak Ava’s gifts over to her house. I need to drop of Leyla and Amira’s gifts to them, Tobias and Emily’s gifts too.”

“What should I do with Grace and Secretary Porter’s gifts?” Ashley questioned as she picked up her puppies and started for the back door. “Mommy wants to make sure they know they are loved, yes I do.”

“I have never laughed so hard wrapping presents,” Gibbs gasped. “Ashley, your Tobias impression is dead on.”

“He gets under my skin sometimes,” Ashley laughed. “Mocking him is how I cope with his lunacy. He’s a good guy, but you have to get through all those layers of neediness.”

“Where does Ducky spend Christmas?” Tony questioned as he started wrapping his old friend’s gifts.

“I don’t know,” Gibbs paused. “Jimmy and Breena are going to her family’s house this year. What do we have for gifts for him?”

“I have five,” Ashley rooted through her pile. “He’s so nice to me, I wanted to do my own thing.”

“I have five,” Tony sorted through the various books and a very special gift that he came up with over the course of the summer.

“I have seven,” Gibbs counted his various wood projects that he knew would make Ducky’s new home feel more welcoming.

“Ducky,” Tony tried to sound extra jovial as he spoke to his friend. “How’s everything? Any questions or problems that I can help you with?”

“Anthony, my dear friend, it’s the day after your wedding and you are worrying about me? Everything is good, I was just wrapping the last of my gifts and trying to organize my deliveries. I should be at Jethro’s house tomorrow after dinner, if that is okay.”

“Duck,” Gibbs spoke up as Tony put the phone on speaker. “How about coming for dinner and bringing some clothes to spend a couple days with us? We would love to have you here with us on Christmas morning.”

“You can’t say no,” Ashley piped in. “I am hormonal, and I will cry big tears. Big, ugly tears and Tony won’t want anything to do with me.”

“My dear,” Ducky chuckled. “As much as my younger friend loves you, I do not think that anything could change the way he looks at you. I would be delighted to spend the holiday with my dear friends. What should I bring?”

“Your appetite,” Ashley laughed. “Jethro purchased everything that I am craving, and I need help eating it all before it goes bad.”

Jethro, Tony, Ashley, and the puppies piled into Tony’s SUV and set out to deliver the neatly wrapped gifts. Just as planned, everyone came out to meet the newest additions to the family.

“Oh my, Popeye. “I am definitely coming over to play sometime very soon. I have these for the three of you and the four of you.” Grace placed the neatly wrapped presents in the back of the SUV. “Merry Christmas, my friends. I will see you very soon.”

Secretary Porter surprised everyone when she had them bring the puppies inside the house as she proceeded to sit on her floor to play. “Don’t look so worried, it’s tile so it will wipe up easily if someone has to pee. You are all so cute. What are your names.”

“This is Shelby, that is Sadie, Jasmine and Charlie.” Tony introduced the canine family. “We are very much in love with them.”

“As you should be,” Secretary Porter looked up when she heard Sarah squeal. “Are you glad you came down, now?”

“They are so fluffy and cute!” Sarah sat opposite of her mom, she wished she had a ball or something to play with. “We need dog toys.”

“Well,” Tony laughed as he pulled the accumulated gifts out of the back of the vehicle. “That went better than expected and the girls were so good!”

“They were getting so much attention, it didn’t occur to them to be bad.” Gibbs laughed as he carried his two sweet girls inside. “I’ll come help you, Ashley.”

“No need,” Ashley laughed as she clipped the leashes on her puppy daughters. “I think, I am going to try walking them while traffic is so light, see what happens.”

“Can we come?” Gibbs looked at his little ones, he figured burning off some energy would be great.

“Yep,” pausing at the end of the driveway, Ashley laughed when Sadie and Shelby looked up at her in total confusion. “You have to wait for grandpa, he’s bringing the girls.”

The walk was nice, the air was crisp, but not too cold. It was a nice stroll with just the two of them to chat and get even more comfortable with each other.

“Could we make cookies?” Ashley blurted out as they turned onto the street to head home. “We never had traditions in my house, I was thinking that we could start something now that could carry on when this little one is born and if we have more children, they would be part of it too.”

“We can,” Gibbs laughed. “I have actually been thinking about traditions too, I was thinking that once we have everything wrapped and ready, we could take a drive to look at Christmas lights. I think Ducky would find that very nostalgic.”

“I love that idea,” Ashley placed a hand on Jethro’s elbow to stop him from walking. “Gibbs, Tony and I were talking about Ducky. He has more years behind him, than in front of him. We love that you invited him over for Christmas.”

“I was going to talk to the two of you about the same thing when we got back,” Gibbs sighed. “I have noticed a spark that came back when he knew he was helping Tony out. Is there any way, he could help with picking things for the new house? Have input with Thomas and the design?”

“I think we can figure something out,” Ashley sighed with relief. “Let’s go talk with Tony and pick out which cookies to bake.

Ducky was so excited that he showed up by lunch time, his arms full of gifts. “I had to much fun shopping for the lot of you. It did my soul good to infuse the holiday spirit into my world, I wasn’t sure I would want to celebrate this year without being able to be with little Victoria.”

“Well, we do not have a small child yet, but we have four puppies.” Tony laughed as the puppies ran to Ducky and started barking in excitement. “They are in love with their Uncle Ducky, look at them.”

“Oh my word,” Ducky leaned down. “These little ladies are all personality, look at you. You sure are cute.”

“And not a Corgi in the mix,” Tony laughed. “Those dogs were a lot to deal with, Ducky.”

“I agree,” Ducky shook his head. “They have a great home now; I do not miss them at all. Retched little dogs, they were so spoiled after my mother that they did not like anyone else. These lasses are adorable, I do think we are going to have a great time, ladies.”

“Time to eat,” Gibbs and Ashley called out in unison. 

Ducky hurried through the meal, excusing himself and promising to return within a couple hours. “I have two more stop to make before I can enjoy this lovely holiday.”

“Well,” Tony looked at the tree and the area around it. “We could sort the gifts and figure out how to keep the girls away from it.” 

“Come help me carry mine up from the basement,” Gibbs waited for Tony to follow him. “I wrapped them down here, to have the room. That extra kitchen area is handy.”

Grabbing a stack from the table, Tony found himself panicking that they didn’t reciprocate equally to Gibbs. Making his way up the stairs, He motioned for Ashley to come closer. “He did too much.”

“Oh honey,” Ashley winked. “You have no idea what we even have for him. It’s fine.”

The trio worked at organizing the gifts between the humans and the canines in the house. “I think the dogs have as many as we do,” Gibbs laughed. “You are much loved, girls.”

“Anthony,” Ducky yelled from the porch. “Help.”

Running to the front door, Tony was greeted by his elder friend with his arms full of what appeared to be more gifts. “Ducky, what the heck. Here I got these. Are there more?”

“One more trip,” Ducky sighed in relief as Tony took his burden of packages from his arms. “I have to say, this has been the most rewarding Christmas adventure so far.”

“Well,” Ashley laughed. “We sorted the gifts while you were gone and blocked off the tree from the babies. If you tell me which gift goes to which name, I can put it in the right place for you.”

“My dear,” Ducky blushed. “I may have overdone it, but those 4 larges ones that Anthony is bringing in are for the little ladies. The rest are tagged, I wrote the tags while the nice lady wrapped them for me.”

With the piles sorted, Ashley was feeling a bit overwhelmed. “I need to sit down,” holding on the back of the sofa, she sighed in relief when Jethro reached her first to stead her. 

“Here,” Gibbs pulled her close to his side. “It’s been a busy few days, you need to rest and dictate to the men folk, what you want done.”

“Ducky, would you get me something to drink, please?” Ashley needed to speak to Tony and Gibbs alone. “We need to figure out something big for him, he went out of his way to include the girls too. He made a special trip.”

“Tell me you are craving something,” Tony whispered to Ashley. “Gibbs, you do you. I know just the perfect thing. I saw it in the window of the pawn shop downtown when we were getting the car after stopping to get cheesecake at the diner.”

“Here you go, my dear.” Ducky sat next to his friend and measured her pulse as she drank her juice. “It’s nice and steady, I do believe these last few days have caught up with you. As Jethro said, you just tell us what to do and we will do it for you.”

“Go get me some Chubby Hubby ice cream,” Ashley looked directly at Tony with her request.

“We have ice cream,” Tony played along. “I will mix a few flavors together for you.”

“I want Chubby Hubby Ice Cream.” Ashley growled.

“Something wrong with your feet, DiNozzo?” Gibbs snapped as he moved to sit by his housemate. “She wants Chubby Hubby Ice Cream. While you are at it, get me a pint of Boots on the Moo’n, Ducky will have Boom Chocolatta Cookie Core.”

“Anything else?” Tony sighed as he typed the ice cream flavors into his phone. “Going once, twice….bye!” Running for the door, Tony knew he had exactly 22 minutes to make it into town and claim the gift. He could do it in 17 if traffic cooperated.”

“Gibbs, do you think Tony is going to like the gift I made him?” Ashley needed to fill the time keeping Ducky entertained. “Could we show Ducky? Get his opinion?”

“I would love a sneak peek.” Ducky turned towards the tree, surprised when Gibbs vanished down to the basement. “What do you think, Duck?”

“You made these?” Ducky looked at the craftmanship with amazement.

“I had an amazing teacher,” Ashley winked at Gibbs. “He showed me the way to sand everything, he ended up doing the sealing for me because of the fumes, but I got to stain it.”

“She’s a natural,” Gibbs laughed. “Very speedy too.”

“Anthony is going to love all of it,” Ducky misted up. “Our boy has a beautiful life now, Jethro.”

“You worried about him,” Ashley was overcome with emotion as she watched Ducky wipe away his tears. “You are such a dear friend, Ducky. I promise you; I will take very good care of him. I will love him with all my heart and soul, he is safe with me.”

“After his relationship with,” Ducky paused.

“Jeanne?” Ashley finished. “I know about it, I know how it ended and the aftermath. I even know about the unpleasant encounter because of the case that was almost the final straw. It took a while for him to tell me he loved me, I could see the fear in his eyes when I said it to him, but I also saw the love. I sat him down one day and asked him what was keeping him from allowing himself to love me and be loved by me.”

“That’s when he told you?” Gibbs questioned.

“Yes,” Ashley smiled. “I wasn’t shocked that it happened as a result of an uncover case. What shocked me was that the person in charge, at the time, was so invested in revenge that she almost killed him.”

“I was so lost,” Gibbs sighed. “Trying to find my footing.”

“Gibbs, you had suffered a head injury and had lost your family all over again. You were mourning and he never blamed you for that. What hurt him is how you did not see him when you came back.” Ashley paused. “He was confiding in Jimmy, he was the only person that Tony felt he could confide in that wouldn’t see him as weak. Ducky, you were the person he looked to for reassurance that he was doing a good job. He knew you were hurting, too.”

“I was wrong for how I handled that,” Gibbs admitted. “I never apologized to him for it either.”

“It’s in the past but know that you do not have to spend your life teaching not to make your mistakes. He has seen how the choices that you made have crippled you at times. When you were at the hospital with Tobias, after Emily overdosed, Tony paced the floors worried that your past would haunt you. He worried the nightmares would start. There were two nights that he came and slept in the hallway, at the top of the stairs to listen for you.” Ashley watched as Gibbs tried to hide his emotions. “It’s okay to be touched by his love and devotion to you, Jethro. It’s not a blind, puppy dog following… it’s a bond of a partner and a friend. Both the partner and the friend want nothing but the best for you.”

“I did not deserve that from him,” Gibbs sighed. “Why does he do that?”

“Because he loves you, Jethro.” Ashley snapped. “Damn it, we both love you with all our heart. You are our family and this is what a family does. Maybe it has been so long since you have had one that you forgot, but it is time that you try hard to remember. Don’t you dare walk away from me; emotions are shared with a family. Gibbs, I am not going to run away if you shed a damn tear. How do you expect to ever heal if you do not grieve?”

“What if I can’t stop,” Gibbs whispered through tear filled eyes.

“Oh my dear friend,” Ducky grasped Jethro’s hand. “You haven’t let go for twenty-nine years. Sometimes, dear boy, you have to allow yourself to fall.”

Feeling trapped, Gibbs did not know how to react except for what his instinct was telling him. Grabbing a jacket on his way out the door, he took off running in the direction of town. He ran until he could not put one foot in front of the other anymore, collapsing in a heap of exhaustion miles from home. 

“Gibbs,” Tony called softly as he approached, hands up so that his friend could see he was coming at him in an act of kindness. “Hey, let’s get you in my vehicle. It’s cold out here.”

“They’re never coming back,” Gibbs whispered as his friend pulled him to his feet. “Every day, I wake up hoping that it was a bad dream and this is the day they come home.”

“They are gone, Gibbs.” Tony opened the door to his SUV and helped Gibbs inside. “What happened, it was not your fault. Shannon and Kelly were murdered because Pedro Hernandez did not want to leave any witnesses. They died doing the right thing.”

“They were my life, Tony.” Gibbs allowed the first of several tears to fall. “That was my little girl and my wife. I should have been here to protect them, I should have died with them.”

“If you had died,” Tony turned Gibbs’s face to meet his eyes. “Countless people would not have been able to get justice for their loved ones. I would never have been and NCIS Agent. What you know now, that is beautiful, never would have been. I did not know her, Gibbs, but I am confident that this is not the life that your wife wanted for you. You do not have to marry another red head to find love, you just have to open your heart again.”

“We’ve been here before,” Gibbs whispered as Tony pulled him into a hug and held on. “I’m sorry.”

“We will come here a hundred times if we need to,” Tony admonished. “We’re family, Gibbs. We love you and appreciate everything that makes you, Gibbs. Please, do not ever think you have to apologize for your pain or for being human.”

“He’s right,” Grace said softly as she walked up on the conversation. “Ducky called me, he wanted me to make sure everything was okay.” Stepping into Tony’s place, Grace gently measured her patient’s pulse as she whispered to him softly. “You are doing what you have needed to do for a very long time, Gibbs. Go home and enjoy your family, I will see you at breakfast the day after Christmas. I have a play date with the puppies and Ashley.”

“Grace?” Tony watched as their friend stepped away and closed the car door. “He okay?”

“He is better than he has been in a very long time,” Grace reassured. “Take him home, do not let him hide away. Whatever you had planned, follow it through. He’s going to be tired so just watch him. Make him eat, keep him hydrated. Keep him close.”

The trip home was silent, Tony allowed Gibbs to gather his composure and thoughts. By the time they arrived, Gibbs was able to walk into the house and up the stairs to take a shower. When he returned, the color was back in his face, along with a peace that had never been there before.

“Those cookies smell good,” Gibbs commented as he watched Ashley and Ducky decorate the ones that were cooled on the table. 

“There are three other types in the pantry on the shelf to the right,” Ducky called out. “We figured we better move them, or we will not want to eat dinner.”

Dinner, a drive to look at lights followed by the viewing of Tony’s favorite movie took the family up to the late hour of 11:30 p.m. 

“I’m going to bed,” Ducky yawned and headed for the stairs. “I will see you lovely people in the morning.”

“I need your help carrying his gift inside,” Tony whispered to Gibbs. “I don’t want to drop it.”

“This is beautiful,” Gibbs whispered as he ran his hand over Tony’s thought filled purchase. “He is going to love this, Tony.”

Ashley was the first one up. She looked over the display, placed the stockings on top of each pile before entering the kitchen to turn on the coffee pot and put their breakfast casserole in. Gibbs appeared shorts after the coffee started to brew, placing his stockings for everyone on their piles, chuckling when he saw that Ashley had the same idea.

“Ducky,” Ashley kissed the elder man on the cheek when he arrived in the kitchen. “Water is hot for tea, I have a nice selection of tea in the pantry, above the cookies.”

Growling, barking and a crash came from the bedroom as Tony tried to navigate his way out with the puppies at his feet. “Sorry, they were a little too excited to get out this morning. Potty! Potty!” Tony chased the girls to the back door. 

“Charlie and Jazzy will be out in a minute,” Gibbs made his way up to get his girls, he had left them snuggling together in his bed. “Do not tell anyone that I let you sleep with me, it will ruin my image.” 

“Here you go girls,” Ashley placed present in front of each of them. “You can work on these while we open our gifts.”

“My word, Jethro. I do not remember ever seeing these many gifts under a tree before.” Ducky was amazed at the love that was under the tree. “This is the most excited that I have been since I was a lad.”

“Oh my word,” Ducky whispered through tears. “This is an 1908 Victor II Humpback phonograph. This bell is real brass, it’s the original bell.”

“The only thing that has been replaced is the felt on the turntable and it has a new needle in it with replacements in your stocking.” Tony explained.

“This wood is the original, it’s so well preserved. Oh my word, this was way too expensive.” Ducky looked to his friends.

“Relax Ducky,” Tony winked. “I swindled the salesman before he realized that what he had was an item that is valued between three and five thousand dollars.”

“You are a class act,” Ducky snorted as he examined every inch of his gift. The others were forgotten as they opened presents and laughed at the jokes.

“Gibbs?” Tony and Ashley said in unison. “You okay?”

“Pocket watch,” Gibbs swallowed around the lump in his throat. “Where did?”

“Called Cal,” Tony explained. “I told him where I remember Jack hiding his prized possessions. I never saw you with it, I figured that it may have been missed. He found it along with the next box.”

“My dad’s dog tags,” Gibbs whispered. “I only saw them one time, he never pulled them out again. Said he didn’t need to see them to remember the war.”

“Well,” Ashley pulled another box out of the pile and handed it to Gibbs. “They do not need to be constant reminders, but a way to honor his memory.” Watching as Gibbs unwrapped the case, Ashley and Tony moved to sit beside him. 

“Everything fits,” Gibbs looked down at the case. “Flag, watch, dog tags. It’s his legacy.”

“No Jethro,” Ducky chastised softly. “You are his legacy; those are mementos to remember the man that contributed to your existence.”

“Ducky, did you open everything?” Tony looked around to make sure his friend got all his gifts. “No, you did not. There is this one, it’s rather heavy. Probably should come over here and unwrap it.”

“Jethro,” Ducky gasped. “You made me a nightstand for my bedroom. It is the finest craftsmanship I have ever seen.”

“It was my pleasure,” Gibbs smile reached his eyes and left the knot in everyone’s stomach to unravel. “You two need to open that one there.” 

“Gibbs,” Tony whispered. “This is…”

“You are making our baby a crib and a cradle?” Ashley started crying. “This baby will be able to sleep on something that has so much love poured into it. Oh, Gibbs.” Sobs tore from the expectant mom as she clutched the plans to her chest. “I have a friend that says love can heal a thousand hurts, but I think you have healed ten thousand. Thank you so much.”

“That’s my grandchild,” Gibbs commented through teary eyes. “Every child deserves a good start to life; this one is very blessed.”

“Where is your father, Anthony?” Ducky suddenly realized that Senior was missing.

“Monte Carlo,” Tony shrugged. “Typical behavior of the old man run when it is supposed to count. He left after the wedding.”

“The girls seem to be loving their presents,” Ashley laughed. “We still have a stack of unopened.”

“They are for the baby,” Tony looked at the tags. “Gibbs? Ducky?”

“Not just us,” Gibbs nodded at the pile. “Jack, Grace, Leon, Leyla, Amira and Secretary Porter.”

“Blankets, sheets, bottles, onesies, unisex colored clothes.” Tony looked at the growing pile. “We need to find a spot for all of this.”

“How about in here until we can fill it with toys?” Gibbs moved the toybox he made into view. 

“It’s beautiful,” Ashley laughed as she ran her fingers over the grain. 

“One more,” Ducky pulled an envelope from the pocket of his robe. “This is for all three of you. I have thought about this long and hard, I do believe that I am making the wisest choice so please do not question my motives.”

“A lake house,” Ashley looked at the photos. “It’s beautiful.”

“It’s partially ours,” Gibbs looked at the papers. “Duck?”

“This family deserves to make beautiful memories and to have a place to escape the word when you need to, even at a moment’s notice. Nobody will appreciate it as much as the three of you. I will still take trips to it, Jimmy and Breena will still take Victoria there. It’s a family vacation home, you are my family.”

“Merry Christmas everyone!” Ashley snuggled in, her heart feeling so full. “Hey, we are officially in our second trimester, I just realized. Baby DiNozzo, we love you.”


	13. Author's Note

Hello Everyone,

I just wanted to take a moment to speak to you from my heart. So many of you have reached out to see if I am okay, worried that I have contracted Covid-19. I wanted to put your mind at ease and say, I have not contracted Covid-19. Life has been extremely busy, so much going on with working from home, going into the office here or there, family and family and more family. 

I pride myself in being an upbeat person, but this long journey with Covid is taking it's toll on my mental health a bit. I am exhausted from trying to keep everything safe and functional at home and work. I am working through it, I will be victorious because I cannot allow myself to be defeated because that means the virus and those responsible for the degree that our lives have changed win. Along with all of that, I am getting things in my home ready for me to be out of commission for a bit because I am going to have my teeth pulled and a full set of dentures made. When you are the woman of the house, you have a lot of prep to do to leave your family to half fend for themselves for a while. 

I am working on the next chapter. In the spirit of transparency, I am on re-write #7, I get so far and it does not feel right. The idea that I had, a friend stated was not cool to do, they felt it would be too hard on the readers. I have tried to write what I think you want, what you have requested and what has been demanded of me. It's not working, I have to write from my heart. So rewrite #7 is in progress and it's what my heart is telling me to do. I think that if you are willing to take my hand and go along the journey, it's going to be well worth it. 

I can give you some insight into things to come...

Gender Reveal....

A devastating event that changes Gibbs forever and his relationship with Tony (No, not going to do slash).

A little bit of drama 

A lot of laughs

There are no deaths.... Things do change a big way.

Now that I have teased you..... I want to say this....

Please take this virus seriously! Please wear your masks and be vigilant. Your life is so precious.

This month marks the 10th anniversary of my mother's death from a rare form of cancer which eventually metastasized to her lungs. I watched my mother drown in her own fluids and die due to cancer. I do not want you or anyone that you love to go through that because someone was too hard headed to wear a mask. Be a hero, save your own life and the lives of others.

Now.. one more thing...

We lost a true icon... a pioneer of our times.. Ruth Bader Ginsburg forever changed the path of how women would be treated and looked at when it came to every day life and the work force. She will be a role model for women of all ages for decades to come. Our children will learn about her in the history books and we were alive to witness the history that she made.

She had 87 years of life on this earth. She's described as a great teacher, a good parent, friend and that she was very generous. Right now, many of us are struggling due to unemployment, reduced hours and this virus... we can still help carry on her legacy of kindness and generosity. Tomorrow, I plan on doing a random act of kindness in her honor... I encourage everyone to do the same. It can be anything...

"Someone who used whatever talent she had to do her work to the very best of her ability. And to help repair tears in her society, to make things a little better through the use of whatever ability she has. To do something, as my colleague David Souter would say, outside myself. ‘Cause I’ve gotten much more satisfaction for the things that I’ve done for which I was not paid." - Quote of RBG during an interview...

So let's take a page from her book and live our lives to make this world a little bit better than we found it. REST IN PEACE, RBG! 

I want all of you to get some rest, drink your water! Stay hydrated, stay rested and know that you are loved. I need and want all of you in my life, you enrich it. Reach out to me if you need something, I will do what I can even if it is just finding someone to help you.

Have you ever thought about how you want people to remember you after you pass away?

I want people to remember me as someone that made them feel important and someone that made them laugh.

Well, I better close this and start back on my update but first..

Got to pee, Got to pee.

Daddy wanted an answer 

But I go to pee.. :)

Love  
Rebekah!


	14. Chapter 14

"Gibbs, Tony.” Vance ran into the building breathless. “I need you to come with me, now. Get your stuff.”

Grabbing their badges and guns, the two agents followed Vance to his car, destination unknown. The lights and sirens left both men feeling uneasy, the sight of smoke making their hearts beat in their throats.

“Where is Ashley?” Tony snapped as soon as he saw the house beside Jethro’s was on fire, engulfing the roof of the Gibbs home. “Director?”

“She was in the house,” Vance took a deep breath. “The firemen had her and the dogs evacuate the house. She sent them in to bring out the boxes with important papers that you both put in the pantry and to spray fire retardant on the roof of the garage. They said she was most concerned with saving the things that you moved to the garage to renovate the upstairs. From my understanding, she is across the street sitting on the porch of your neighbor’s house.”

“Ashley,” Tony and Gibbs yelled as the exited the vehicle. 

“Are you hurt?” Gibbs questioned as Tony pulled his wife close. “I’ll take the leashes for the girls, I have them. Let go.”

“No,” Ashley sobbed. “Don’t take the babies from me, please.”

“Okay,” Tony whispered. “It’s okay. Just relax, we’ve got you.”

“Gibbs,” Ashley pulled away from Tony. “They protected the garage; everything should be ok. I was so scared; I didn’t want you to lose your precious mementos of your family.”

“It’s okay,” Gibbs glanced at the garage, relieved that it was indeed being well tended by the fire department. “I am going to talk to the fire marshal. Leon, you stay with them?”

“How about I stay with them?” Jack stepped up. “Vance can go with you, best to have two sets of ears in times like this.” Moving to sit beside her friend, Jack reached over to pet the dogs. “Did you get them out by yourself?”

“I did,” Ashley nodded. “We love them so much, they are family. I grabbed their leashes, clipped them on as the fire department pulled up. They ran in and got our boxes of important stuff for me and grabbed the photo albums for Jethro.”

“They know him,” Tony commented with relief. “If he had lost his photos of his girls, I don’t know what he would have done.”

“Why did you move everything from upstairs out into the garage?” Jack questioned softly.

“We were working on the upstairs. He was going to turn the attic into a second master bedroom for us. The landowner is giving us so many issues, we don’t want to follow through with the transaction.” Tony explained. “He doesn’t want to cooperate; we took it as a sign and Gibbs wants us to stay.”

“The garage is untouched,” Gibbs sighed as he made his way back. “They say there are signs of arson next door, we can’t go into the house. The attic and second floor are gone.”

“Gibbs,” Ashley started sobbing. “I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry,” Gibbs kneeled in front of his friend. “You are safe, the girls are safe. Things can be replaced, everything that reminds me of my life with Shannon and Kelly is in the garage. Leon wants me to move it all to his second garage so we have a truck coming to do that.”

“Boss?” Tony was confused.

“We’re not sure that the arsonist got the right house,” Gibbs explained. “If he realizes that there was a screw up, all the baby stuff you stored out there along with my memories could be gone.”

“We need to find you a place to board the dogs,” Jack pulled out her phone. “You may have to split them up; not sure we can find a boarder that can take four.”

“You do not have to board the dogs,” Vance growled as he glared at Jack. “Secretary Porter was briefed on the situation; he wants you to occupy the safe house on the grounds of the new office. We both feel this could have been an attempt on either one of your lives and that you should have the protection that the grounds offer.”

“We will get you everything that you need for food and comfort,” Vance sighed. “I think that we need to be extra careful right now. If someone is after one of you, their first target is going to be Ashley and the baby.”

“Agree,” Tony sighed. “Can we get some toiletries and clothes for tonight and tomorrow? I want to get Ashley and the girls away from here. We need to get them food and water bowls.”

“How can I help?” Grace popped her head into the discussion. “Director Vance texted me, I got here as fast as I could. I can go shopping for Ashley and go grocery shopping.”

“I’ll go with you,” Vance looked at the smoldering house. “Let’s get them somewhere safe, then we shop.”

“It’s true,” McGee stood in shock as he watched the firemen put out the last of the fire. “Was he? Were they? Director?”

“They are fine,” Vance pointed to where Gibbs was working to untangle leashes. “Just go easy on them, Tim. They’re a wreck.”

“Tony? Gibbs?” McGee made his way unto the porch. “Are you okay? What can I do?”

“Can you cover my tracks if I used my debit and credit cards to get us some clothes and groceries,” Tony questioned as he helped Ashley to her feet. 

“You’re having a baby,” Tim whispered. “How far along are you?”

“Five and a half months,” Ashley placed her had on her stomach. “Can you help us?”

“I can help you,” Tim sighed. “Director Vance, I need permission t..”

“Do whatever you have to do, Tim.” Vance stopped the agent. “Not at NCIS, I want you to come with us. Take Tony and Ashley with you, he can direct you where to go. Gibbs can ride with me; I am going to arrange the clothing and groceries to get them through tonight and tomorrow.”

“Hey,” Tim answered his phone. “They are okay, honey. Safe and sound, I am going to help for a bit so I will be home later. I promise to call you when I am on my way.”

“We are going to an official NCIS location,” Tony explained as they started down the road. “We do a lot of training and other types of investigating here. This location has to stay off the grid, Tim. You cannot even tell Bishop about it.”

“You can count on me,” Tim blinked tears away. “You’re going to be a dad, Tony. I have wanted you to experience the joy of being a father since I held my babies. I wished for you to find someone that you love as much as I love Delilah and to have a family.”

“Why?” Tony questioned. “I did not think you cared about what happened to me, Tim. One of the reasons that I left the team is because I didn’t think I could count on either one of you to ever have my back. I was about to start a new life with my soon to be wife and I did not want to walk out that front door for a day in the field not knowing if someone was going to have my back so I could come home to her again.”

“I deserve that,” Tim sighed. 

“See that cluster of trees up on the left?” Tony pointed out. “Slow down, you are going to be turning between the two large maples.”

“I would not have seen that if you hadn’t pointed it out,” Tim squinted as he started to maneuver the car down the dirt path. “This is so far off the road, what the hell Tony. When did they build this?”

“Within the last year,” Tony explained. “Go around the back, you will see the house.”

“It’s built into the side of the hill,” Tim studied it. 

“Which is why I am guessing Leon wanted us here?” Ashley glanced at the house. “Not how I pictured our first Valentine’s Day as husband and wife, hiding in a bunker. Don’t tell anyone, I don’t want to be bunker girl.”

“Nah,” Tim snickered. “Pretty sure those bunker nicknames are saved for the White House.” Making some mental notes, Tim made his way into the secure garage with Tony’s assistance.

“Jack sure left quickly when she got snapped at for wanting to separate us from the dogs,” Ashley commented as she handed Tim the leashes to two and Tony the leashes to the other two. “We need to figure out where they are going to sleep, we haven’t let them roam free at night yet.”

“They make dog playpens,” Tim suggested. “I saw them when I went with Delilah to get a kitten for the kids.”

“We should check them out,” Ashley offered. 

“I have your laptops,” Gibbs pointed to a bag of things the fire chief gave him. “He gave me all the clothes from the laundry room too. We have about a week of PJs and things; we need to wash them first.”

“Laundry facilities,” Tony pointed to where Vance was opening the door. “Two washers, two dryers that we can use.”

“Tony,” Ashley called out for her husband. “There are no pillows, sheets or blankets. No pots and pans, no dishes or silverware.”

“We will get you everything you need,” Secretary Porter stepped into the house. “I got here as soon as a I could. Let’s get a list of what is needed, did not have to do much more than furnish this. You’re the first to use it.”

“I have a notebook,” Tim ran to his car. “Let’s get a list, room by room. Ashley, you come with me. Tony, you and Gibbs work on whatever you need to while we do this.”

“Let’s start in the bedrooms,” Ashley started down the hallway and together they made a list of everything for bedroom, bathrooms, living room and kitchen. “We need a lot,” Ashley sighed. “Let’s get a grocery list together too.”

“I have a throw in my car,” Tim hurried back outside. “Delilah uses it to cover her legs on cold days. Why don’t you try to get some rest, on the sofa while we get this stuff together for you.”

“I’m hungry,” Ashley mumbled. “The girls need fed too; they need a water bowl ASAP.”

“Already on it,” Vance snorted. “Kayla was more than excited to go to the pet store and she is going to get the playpens too. Agent McGee, I trust that you can make those transactions invisible to the snooping eye too just in case someone decides to look at all of us.”

“I can,” Tim nodded. “Where should I work?”

“In here,” Tony had McGee follow him to his office. “These are my credentials to get into the system, it only works here so you will not be able to use it at NCIS.”

“I am going to go get food,” Secretary Porter commented as she made her way to the door. “Leon, you figure this out. That baby needs to be born into a world that is as safe as we can make it.”

By the time Secretary Porter returned with food, Kayla had connected with her father to deliver all the necessities for the dogs, snacks for the family and a robe she saw with puppies all over it for Ashley. 

“Housewares are in route,” Gibbs announced as he entered the home. “That food smells great, thank you Madame Secretary.”

“That is it?” Ashley growled. “Does this job that you do numb you to the real world? Our home is ruined, we are homeless right now. We lost everything we own and almost lost the girls.”

“Thing can be replaced,” Gibbs whispered. “The most precious things in that house were on the porch of the neighbor when we pulled up.”

“We have content insurance on our things,” Tony commented. “Gibbs is fully insured and all this tokens from his life with Shannon and Kelly are in the garage. The house can be rebuilt, things from the inside can be replaced. This job has not made me numb to my wife, baby and dogs almost getting killed. What did was making me want answers before I allow myself to react.”

“You got us renter insurance?” Ashley sighed. “That was pretty smart, husband.”

“Wife, I can be smart. Eat your food, we have a lot to put away after we are done. This is going to be our house for a while, we can make it a home.” Tony pointed to the plate. “Stop worrying about the things we have no control over, you need to keep calm for our baby.”

“The pups are loving the fenced in area,” Gibbs laughed as he watched the girls run and tackle each other. “I think we have everything washed and put away. I think we can do the beds next and it will all be done.”

“I did the beds,” Ashley sighed as she walked out into the living room. “Clothes are folded, you two can put them where you want. I am going to take a shower and settle down to watch TV. I have to mentally prepare for our ultrasound tomorrow.”

“Good Morning, Mr. & Mrs. DiNozzo. I understand there was some high stress issues yesterday. Your blood pressure is good, your blood work will be back in a bit. Let’s do the exam and the ultrasound. Do you want to know what the baby is? You are far enough along.”

“We are on the fence,” Tony shrugged. “Could you put it in an envelope, and we will open it if we decide we want to know?”

“I can do that,” the OB squirted the gel on Ashley’s stomach. “I figured you two for the type that would want to wait for when the baby arrives. There is something about trying to solve the mystery without the results that is so intriguing.”

“Is that our baby?” Tony stared at the moving object on the screen. “Hello, baby. I’m your daddy.”

“Who should we give the envelope to?” Ashley giggled as she clutched the paper to her chest on their way out. “We could lock it in a safety deposit box so that it is not easy to get to for a peek. I may have to take that ultrasound photo off you if you are not going to listen to me.”

“This is our baby,” Tony waved the photo in his hand. “He or she is the best part of the two of us. Look how tiny, little bean is.”

“I’m hungry and feeling anxious,” Ashley sighed. “Nothing feels right, we are homeless and no plan B for our home. Jethro’s house in not inhabitable. What if the insurance agency does not want to pay him for the loss or us for our loss.”

“Calm down, Let’s stop and get some things to try to salvage our first married Valentine’s Day. The rest, we are going to have to just wait and see. Gibbs will not allow anyone to be shortchanged in this matter.” Tony pulled into a small strip mall, pulling into a parking space so that he could communicate with the agent assigned to protect them, pulling in behind him. “We are running in to get some things for Valentine’s Day. We will be right back, I have my eyes on everyone in there, you watch out here.”

“I will,” Stan reassured. “Vance has a special team at the scene, we should have some answers soon. Kasey is processing evidence; the fire marshal is helping too.”

“We are safe with a roof over our heads,” Tony shrugged. “Whatever it takes, she and my baby have to safe.”

Tony made his way through the store with Ashley by his side. They purchased items for a nice dinner, flowers, and a sinful looking cake and brownies that were going to please Gibbs. 

“Would you be okay with me getting something for Jethro from the baby?” Ashley paused to look at the rack of mugs.

“I am,” Tony pointed to a few that were extremely funny. There is another shop at the other end, it has some shirts that he would like too. We need some clothes; I can smell smoke in ours.”

“I got the items that we need to strip them,” Ashley pointed to the cart. “Saw it in a TikTok Video, figured it was worth a try if we could save our clothes.”

“We have money banked from the sale of my place and yours,” Tony waited to see what Ashley took from the conversation. Making her way back towards the front of the store, she started to fill up their shopping cart with all the groceries they would need for at least the next week. “I see you are in the groove,” Tony laughed.

“We should go to that store at the end,” Ashley sighed. “We are going to have to be quick about it, this stuff will spoil if we don’t.”

“It is cold enough outside that we should be somewhat okay,” Tony started adding to the cart. “We will get some clothes, better towels and bathmats.”

The DiNozzos made their way through the store in record time. Ashley was able to purchase ten days of clothing for herself, pick up everything they were missing for the house and make it over to where Tony was working hard and finding clothing for Gibbs.

“Need me to shop for you?” Ashley looked into the cart. “Never mind, I got yours.” Hurrying into the men’s clothing, she was able to find ten days of clothing for Tony, a couple shirts for herself that were super soft. Grabbing slippers for everyone, she made her way over to the pet section. 

Tony found his wife testing squeakers on toys for the puppies. “Find anything for the girls?”

“I got new leashes and collars, four food bowls so we have a change out to wash theirs. I found some balls and other toys. We need crate mats for them, blankets and our girls need new bubba babies. They were so upset last night without their sleep snuggle babies.”

“Those look like them,” Tony pointed to the lambs on a hook. “Get two more for the Gibbs Girls, I will get blankets for everyone.” 

“Ready?” Ashley questioned as she rounded the corner with her full cart. “Let’s go drain the bank account.”

“Oh,” Tony hurried towards small appliances. “Toaster, hand mixer, wooden spoons, oven mitts, cookie sheets, pizza pan, Pyrex dishes and dish strainer.”

“Let’s go,” Ashley laughed. “This is one epic shopping trip.”

Gibbs was confused when Tony, Ashley, Stan and Leon all made their way inside the house with their arms full. “Did you leave anything at the store?”

“A little,” Tony called over his shoulder as he headed back out to the car. “Director would you like to stay for lunch? You too, Stan.”

“What are you making?” Vance started peeking into bags. “Is that wonderful smell our lunch?”

“It is,” Tony laughed. “I love that market’s barbequed pork. I thought we could have some open face sandwiches. I got fresh bread for it.”

“What can we do to help?” Stan began working at unboxing all the small appliances that had been purchased. “How do we make this feel like a home so that you are all happy?”

“By doing what you are doing,” Gibbs commented softly. “Being a good friend, Stan.”

“Tony,” Vance called from outside. “Do you have the keys? We can move it into the private parking garage.”

“Here,” Tony made his way outside. “What?”

“Think I should get Dr. Grace here?” Vance nodded towards the house. “This is not ideal, but it will have to do for now. I want to make sure all three of you are okay.”

“As long as we are safe,” Tony sighed. “I am fine. I do think it would be a great idea for Grace to come visit.”

“Tony,” called to his friend as he walked in the door. “What is this?”

“That is the envelope that contains the gender of our baby,” Tony smiled. “We had talked about it and we want to wait to find out what this little one is.”

“When we decide to peek,” Ashley snuggled into Tony’s side, we want to do it with you by our side. “This baby is the miracle that is healing us, we both think that you should be part of everything.”

“Well, as much as you are comfortable being part of,” Tony laughed. “We won’t make you deliver the baby in the back of the sedan.”

“He’s done that?” Ashley gasped.

“Oh, yeah.” Vance snickered. “Christmas miracle, that one. I am starving, let’s eat.”

“How long before the figure out the cause of the fire?” Ashley questioned as they sat down to eat. “I like how quiet it is here, but I know that we are going to be anxious to figure out what happened.”

“It could be a while,” Vance sighed. “I think that for now, this is the best place for you to rest and heal together. Preparing for that little one and staying healthy, so baby can be as healthy as can be is what you need to work on right now.”

“Director, the land that is down that trail.” Tony took a bite to think out what he wanted to ask. “Is it owned by the government? The piece with all the apple trees on it.”

“No,” Vance shook his head. “Privately owned, frontage is on the road behind it. There is a lot of thick brush and some tall fencing that keep people from trying to enter the government land from the private land.”

“How do you know about the apple trees?” Ashley laughed. “Finding a way to sneak over there and snack?”

“Actually, I checked it out a few weeks ago. I walked it with Gibbs while the ground was frozen during that cold snap. It’s beautiful, there is a creek that runs through it, too.”  
“Can we go walk it after we eat?” Ashley was feeling the knot in her stomach starting to loosen. “Please?”

“We can,” Tony smiled, his heart feeling a bit lighter now that Ashley was calming down. They ate quickly, everyone was excited to see what the little mama thought about the land. “What do you think?”

“It’s amazing,” Ashley gazed over the multiple acres. “Could we leave the apple orchard? How much work is it?”

“We can leave it,” Tony nodded. “It has been so neglected, we would have to do some research. Boss? Do you know anything about maintaining an orchard?”

“Nope,” Gibbs shook his head. “We can learn though. This is a very nice piece of land,” Gibbs pointed to an open area near the orchard. “There was a barn or storage here once, there was a house over there at some point. We should do some research on the history of this. If there was a house on this property, that saves you having to dig in the utilities unless it was a long time ago.”

“Can I use NCIS computers to do that, Director?” Tony turned to where Vance was studying the trees.

“Sure,” Vance pointed to where the building had been. “That could be a great spot for a garden or even to expand the orchard. I have recipes for homemade applesauce, apple crisp and an apple pie that will make your stomach growl while baking. They were Jackie’s recipes, she always wanted to grow all her own fruits and vegetables.”

“I would love to learn how to make jam,” Ashley looked around. “I love this, Tony. I can just picture four or five little DiNozzo’s playing in the backyard. Walking in the creek getting their feet wet, chasing frogs. Grossing me out with the same said frogs.”

“So you are picturing four or five little boys?” Vance teased.

“I picture some little girls too,” Ashley laughed as she turned to Gibbs. “I just picture them spending so much time with Jethro that they are tomboys.”

“Sounds about right,” Gibbs snorted with laughter. “Although, I was picturing them with little bows in their hair, pink rain boots and ruffles when I was taking them fishing.”

“Wait,” Tony turned to Gibbs. “You have been daydreaming about my children?”

“Yup,” Gibbs winked at Ashley. “Pictured nine of them terrorizing me awake on Christmas morning, because I stayed over on Christmas Eve to put toys together.”

“Nine?” Vance snorted. “You’re a stud, DiNozzo.”

“What about me?” Ashley laughed. “I have to carry nine babies?”

“Could go for triplets a few times after this,” Stan teased. “See if you can hurry up the process.”

“Hurry up the process,” Ashley laughed. “Men… let’s go back home and do some research.”


	15. Chapter 15

“The history on the land is very impressive,” Tony continued to read. “It has a lot of history. There were three houses on the land, a large apple orchard. They grew corn, pumpkins and watermelon.” Tony pointed to the screen. “Pictures of the produce stand they would set up at the road. They had a greenhouse too; it says they were known for their summer produce.”

“This article talks about how hearty their tomatoes were,” Vance pointed at the screen. “That greenhouse was actually mourned when the owner moved to live with his daughter. The daughter is listed as the only heir, she lives Florida. The property taxes are paid from an account that was set up by the estate. The owner paid to have the land cleared except for the apple trees.”

“Oh good,” Ashley sighed with relief. “I was worried that he died in the house and was haunting the land or something.”

“He passed away last year,” Vance pointed at the screen. “He was 102, credited it to good country living. His wife, it says she passed while they were on vacation three days after she retired as a prosecutor for the Commonwealth of Virginia.”

“Can you see a phone number for her?” Ashley started pacing. “I really want this piece of land.”

“I see that,” Vance clicked another record. “Here is a real estate listing from last year, it appears it ran out with no buyers.”

“Let’s call,” Tony peered over Vance’s shoulder for the phone number. Making his way outside with Ashley, Tony paced waiting for an answer. “I was calling about the land that your father owned. Yes, I am very interested. My wife and I are expecting our first baby, we are looking to build our life time home.”

“Hello?” Ashley took the phone when Tony handed it to her. “Yes, ma’am. I am twenty one weeks tomorrow. Oh, we love the orchard and will keep it. We were reading on the history and I want to bring back the function of that property. Your father stored the greenhouse? That is wonderful! Underground storage? No, we did not come across anything when we were walking around. I will go look for it tomorrow. Yes, I can do that. I am a schoolteacher, my husband is a federal agent.”  
“Hello?” Tony snickered as he took the phone back. “Cash… Ma’am, that land is our dream. Yes, Ma’am. Please have your lawyer contact me at this number. Thank you so much, please come visit after we have a house built. Oh my, you are an incredibly young 78 years old. How about this, I will send you pictures and maybe your daughter can come visit.”

“We got the land!” Ashley ran inside the office building. 

“Her lawyer will email me the contract to review, we can wire the money to her. She’s seventy-eight years old with no desire to do anything with the land. She is just interested in leaving her daughter a nice inheritance.”

“Okay,” Gibbs laughed. “You’re going to be building a house and I am going to be rebuilding mine.”

“Boss, I am so sorry about your house.” Tony fought the urge to hug his father figure. 

“It’s a structure,” Gibbs sighed. “Everything that I find important is in the garage, everyone that I find important is safe.”

“We should work on plans for your remodel!” Ashley laughed. “I think you need a bigger kitchen, eat in! That way when the nine kids come over to see you, they won’t have food all over your house.”

“I have to see what the insurance is willing to do,” Gibbs sighed. “I am hoping they will pay for a major remodel. We have to find out what happened first, then we can make plans. I am not going to live somewhere that my grandchildren will not be safe to play.”

“You are really getting into this role,” Stan smiled. “It’s a good look on you, Gibbs. It’s nice to see you happy.”

“Had to come to terms that life changes,” Gibbs shrugged. “Had someone with a great deal of patience show me that I cannot keep living for yesterday.”

“Not when we have some pretty amazing tomorrows to look forward to,” Ashley winked. “Now, I am going to make some sinful dessert for later. Tony has the meat marinating, and we have to find some candles so that we can have a nice Valentine’s Day dinner.”

“I will go over to the office and work on the pictures from the fire,” Gibbs pointed to the side door.

“Oh no,” Tony turned Gibbs back towards the kitchen. “I need you to grill those steaks on that firepit grill. You are joining us because this isn’t just about the two of us, it’s about the baby and the girls too.” Gibbs felt a strange peace settle over him that made him shiver. 

“Hey,” Grace’s face appeared with Secretary Porter behind her. “I brought candles, sparkling cider and fresh bread.”

“Well, Grace …..” Tony playfully pulled his friend close to his side. “You had me at fresh bread, I will leave my wife and run away with you.”

“Down boy,” Grace laughed. “You break my friend’s heart, I will break you. How did the ultrasound go? Boy? Girl? Kitten?”

“We have that in an envelope,” Tony snickered. “We want to wait; it is driving everyone here crazy. Speaking of crazy, you want me to line them up for you?”

“You are waiting?” Grace gasped. “How am I supposed to plan? How am I going to survive not knowing? Oh, why did Sloan call me to see if I had any ideas on how to suck up to you?”

“Okay,” Ashley pulled her friend over to the sofa. “We like the mystery of not knowing. You can imagine along with us and Jack wanted us to board the pups instead of finding a way for us to be together.”

“Oh,” Grace thought for a moment. “She can work that out on her own. Where are the girls?”

“Outside with Stan,” Tony pointed to the side window. “He wants a dog; he is trying to see how he would do as a puppy daddy.”

“Agent Gibbs,” Secretary Porter motioned towards the door. “We need to discuss the arrangements of you living here.”

Stepping outside, Gibbs crossed his arms in a defensive manner waiting for some battle to ensue. “Madame Secretary?”

“Relax, all the forensic evidence has been turned over to NCIS. Ms. Hines is combing through every piece of it to see what she can find. Director Vance and Agent Burley will be overseeing the investigation into the incident. At this point, I am going to suggest that you go back with a team and salvage what you can.”

“Director Vance offered us his spare garage to store things in,” Gibbs sighed. “Let them have today, Ma’am. It’s Valentine’s Day, they are newlyweds.”

“You can go alone with a team,” Secretary Porter growled. “There is no need to drag a pregnant woman into that debris. I will have Director Vance, Agent Burley, Agent McGee, and three others meet you at your house in an hour.”

Ashley sent Tony with Gibbs; she did not want him by himself as he made his way through his damaged home. “I will be fine alone if you need to leave, Grace.”

“No,” Grace laughed. “I want to play with the puppies, and we need to figure out your gender reveal. At some point, you are going to want to know.”

“Would you like to be in charge of it?” Ashley questioned. “When we are ready, we will give you the envelope and time to put it together. I want something that we can do with Gibbs and Tony’s father.”

“I have an idea,” Grace pulled out her phone and started to scroll through. “I may have already been working on it, I was bored the other night and there was nothing on TV.”

“I love this idea,” Ashley laughed. “I was thinking that we could do a duck theme. We could work around that color idea.”

“Guest list?” Secretary Porter walked into the conversation.

“That depends on where we are having it,” Ashley looked around. “We aren’t going to bring anyone here. Let’s figure the where out first.”

“What about the diner?” Grace paused. “Never mind, that place is great but very narrow for a party. We will figure out something; it will be a shower and reveal.”

“Which is going to drive everyone crazy not knowing what color to buy.” Secretary Porter sighed. “We could open it now, get it over with.”

“No,” Ashley snapped as she stood up. “I will not cheat my husband or the grandfathers out of the reveal. I need to get some exercise, is there a way to do that around here?”

“No,” Secretary Porter shook her head as she started for the door. “I suggest you walk in circles around the living room, it’s going to be a long while before you are going to see the free world.”

“Walk in circles around the living room,” Ashley mocked. “I am getting ticked off at that woman. I should have known that she started off too nice for the Secretary of the Navy. I am going to go for a walk, outside. They said this is secure, so it should be fine.”

With the pups on their leashes, Ashley and Grace set out to walk the girls in the crisp winter air. “I love it out here,” it’s so pretty. I bet when all these trees bloom in the spring, it’s breath taking.”

“What do you want for your baby?” Grace pushed softly. “What is your big dream?”

“A happy child,” Ashley laughed. “One that believes that they can do anything because mom and dad love them beyond comprehension. I do not expect perfection, I wouldn’t even have them strive for it. I want them to do their best, take pride in what they do and just be happy.”

“Do you picture this baby looking like you or Tony?” Grace laughed when Ashley stopped and looked at her confused.

“I haven’t pictured a face,” Ashley shrugged. “I have imagined happiness and joy, but not a face.” Puzzled by her own behavior, Ashley decided it was best to not dig too deep into the meaning. “How are you in the kitchen, Grace?” Ashley smiled at her friend. “Let’s go make dinner, I want you to stay for it too. If you husband were home, you wouldn’t be here on Valentine’s Day.”

By the time Tony and Jethro returned to the house, the ladies had the food a few moments from being ready. The men looked tired, but the ghosts of not knowing seemed to have vanished. “What happened?” Grace questioned softly.

“There is no sign of arson,” Tony sighed. “The fire started in the house next door, faulty wiring that was due to be replaced in three weeks. Everything on the top floor is gone, there is significant water damage to the first floor. The garage was the only thing that could be salvaged.”

“We are going to empty it,” Gibbs explained. “I have everything that can be salvaged in the garage at Vance’s house. We took the Charger over there too. I am going to knock down the garage and rebuild so that it is attached, and everything matches.”

“He is thinking ranch style,” Tony beamed. “No more stairs to navigate when we are drunk.”

“Anthony,” Ashley snarled. “Those days are behind you, daddy.”

“We were talking about an eventual gender reveal party,” Grace teased. “I have a lot of great ideas. Your wife is going to trust me to do this for you when you are ready. Oh, she ticked off Secretary Porter too.”  
“Probably had it coming to her,” Vance interjected as he walked in with flowers in his hand. “For you beautiful ladies,” handing the flowers over, he bowed his head in admiration before turning to leave. 

“Leon,” Gibbs called out. “Stay and eat.”

“I would love to,” taking off his jacket, Vance looked around. “What can I do to help? I am pretty handy in the kitchen.”

There was a lot of laughing as the small group enjoyed their meal. For the first time, since the fire, they felt relaxed in the knowledge that nobody was out to kill them. “Do we have to leave here since there is no threat?”

“No,” Leon shook his head. “We originally were going to use this house as a safe house, but this incident with you made me rethink what we are doing with it and this and with the training project. This house is going to be used for situations just like this, an agent’s life is in danger they come here with their family. Maybe, if this had been an option back then, I would still have Jackie.”

“Director Vance,” Tony sighed deeply. “Ziva and her father were the reason that your wife was killed, nothing that you did or didn’t do was responsible. I have thought long and hard about so many decisions that were made while Ziva was part of the team, we lost perspective and got caught up doing it the way of Ziva or when Jenny Shepherd was the Director, we were guided by her need for revenge. You have taken the agency in a different direction this last year, it’s back to what it should be and was before Mossad infiltrated it.”

“You blame Jenny Shepherd for Ziva,” Vance sighed. “I never thought about it, but you are right.”

“This Ziva person?” Ashley paused; she was not sure if she wanted to know the information that she was about to ask. “Where is she now?”

“Back with Mossad, she faked her death, but we found her.” Tony sighed. “The new director did not find it amusing that she wasted resources and took matters into her own hands. That was the point that NCIS backed away and let them handle their own.”

“She won’t be a problem,” Vance sighed. “We have had our cast of characters over the years. Ziva and Abby being two that stick out the most. Ms. Hines is a nice change from the drama that always seemed to be bubbling in the lab.”

“That’s the dog collar lady, right?” Grace questioned with amusement. “Yeah, I wanted to get her into my office and see what I could do to help her, but the first time I heard her whine…”

“Well, they are our past and that baby is our future,” Leon nodded at Ashley. “When do you find out what you are having?”

“Oh, they have it in an envelope.” Grace sighed. “They have decided to wait.”

Gibbs looked amused by the irritation on the faces of Grace and Leon. “It is their baby, their choice.”

“I know,” Grace shrugged. “I am so excited about this baby; I just want to start spoiling it. Can’t blame me for wanting to be dubbed an aunt and going on a journey that brings some sunshine back into our dark world.”

“You are definitely an aunt,” Tony snickered as Grace did a little happy dance in her chair. “There is an open slot for uncle, if you do not feel it is inappropriate, Director.”

“I would be honored.” Vance beamed with pride.

“Tony,” McGee called out as he knocked and stepped inside. 

“Shouldn’t you be home with your wife, Tim?” Gibbs snapped at the interruption especially when he saw that McGee was not alone. “Kasie, what are you doing here?”

“I don’t know,” the young forensic scientist answered with a great deal of confusion. “He asked me to come with him and brought me here. What is this place?”

“It is a satellite of NCIS,” Vance sighed. “Come with me, Ms. Hines. It seems that Agent McGee feels that you need to be read in, so let’s go read you in. After I am done explaining this, I will be back to listen to all the reasons that I should not fire you.” Vance growled as he took Kasie on a tour of the offices.

“You blew it,” Tony sighed in disgust. “So close to having some assignments with us, but now so far. I like Kasie, but it was not our decision to decide if she should know about this location. That was up to Secretary Porter, but now you compromised us with your selfishness.”

“My selfishness?” Tim countered. “You cut me out of your life. For God’s sake, you got married and are expecting a baby and you didn’t even tell me.”

“That was his choice,” Ashley commented with anger. “What goes on outside the office, is not your business.”

“Too many years went by without you even giving a shit about me aside from when you wanted something, Tim.” Tony motioned towards the door. “Whatever you came here to say or do, I am not interested at all.”

“I know how we can make this place even better,” Tim commented. “That’s why I brought Kasie.”

“McGee,” Vance popped his head into the house. “With me. Ms. Hines, I will be back in a few moments.”

“All good?” Tony questioned Kasie.

“Yeah, I am so sorry, Tony. I have no idea why he brought me here.” Kasie sighed as she looked around. “I am so sorry about your home, Agent Gibbs. Can I do anything to help all of you?”

“I’m Ashley,” pulling out a chair, Mrs. DiNozzo smiled at the young lady before her. “How about having some cake with me? I would love to get to know you. Tony speaks very fondly of you, he and Gibbs both like you a lot.”

“I heard you got married,” Kasie sat down next to the warm smiling lady. “You’re having a baby, I just realized. Congratulations! Tony, you are going to be one very cool dad. What does Senior think?”

“He was very happy,” Tony laughed. “You might say he was giddy about the idea of someone calling him grandpa. He wants to be called Grandaddy Anthony. Which is a lot of words for a baby to say so we will have to find a compromise.”

“When are you due? Do you know what you are having yet?” Kasie was fully invested in the arrival of the baby now.

“End of June, we have the gender sealed in an envelope.” Tony snickered. “We have decided to wait to find out which appears to be upsetting a lot of people. We will find out eventually, it’s a mystery right now and we are loving paying attention to all the little things to solve it.”

“How you like to go for a walk on the property that we bought?” Ashley invited as she reached for her coat. “It’s a short walk to it and there is an orchard. We are very excited about the orchard, we want to make it functional and restore the property to the history which was a great greenhouse with a produce stand that people flocked to. Of course, we would go to a more centralized location for the produce to be sold to be safe but it’s so exciting.”

Gibbs walked with the ladies, listening to them become fast friends while they chatted. “It’s good to see you smile again. Dream those big dreams, never put them on the back burner.”

“These trees are very healthy,” Kasie examined the bark. “In the spring, you will have beautiful leaves, I would use all-natural fertilizer on them, I have a friend that has a store. Are you going to keep the garden here? I think you could increase the yield by moving it in front of the orchard. Where is the house going?”

“The old house was built over where you see that block pile,” Gibbs pointed out. “That was the basement, someone just left the pile of block there when they tore down the house instead of cleaning it all up. There was a second house right in those woods, it was built on a slab instead of with a basement.”

“I can imagine an outside playground for this little one,” Ashley rubbed her baby bump. “I hope this child is an outdoors type kid. I loved being outside when I went to visit my grandma, I would camp in the middle of the yard with just my pillow and blanket to watch the stars.”

“I think we could design an amazing playhouse,” Gibbs looked around the land. “Eventually put a tree house up in that oak, it’s strong and would be a good tree for it.”

“I would love to help you with the garden and the orchard,” Kasie looked around. “Being out here is amazing, I miss the country.”

“I would love that,” Ashley started walking towards a structure that she noticed. “Look at this, it was a wishing well.”

“Whoa,” Kasie reached into her lab coat. “I always have a flashlight. There are things down there. What if it is full of coins too?”

“I don’t know,” turning to look towards a noise that she heard, Ashley was relieved that Tony was joining her. “It’s an old wishing well. Kasie just asked what if it is filled with coins?”

“We will cash them in and donate them to someone or something that really could use the money. We can kick in a little extra too, this property is so cool. I can’t wait until the daughter sends the layout; we may have more hidden gems.”

“Maybe there will be something down there that suggests you do a gender reveal,” Grace laughed. “I can hope, right?”

“I would love to help with it,” Kasie looked at Ashley with a soft smile. “I have a feeling that you and I are going to be very good friends.”

“When we are ready,” Tony looked down at his wife for confirmation. “The two of you can work together for the gender reveal, of all gender reveals. For right now, we are healing from the fire, planning our home, and just enjoying the idea of being parents. We’ll do it, but not yet.”

“Tony,” Gibbs yelled, he had wandered away, something catching his attention. “What do you think?”

“Think it is worth exploring once we get the layout of the land.” Tony turned towards his wife, this property was full of character and some they had yet to discover.

End Note: Thank you for reading, more to come. I want to ease into the gender reveal because of the fires caused by one. What's your vote? Boy or Girl?

Hugs!


	16. Chapter 16

Tony was anxious to get his hands on the specs that went to the land, there were so many mysterious things that they were discovering as they walked around. “I called our lawyer; he is going to get the contract drawn up on the land sale.”

“I am so excited,” Ashley sighed. “I can’t wait until we can show Thomas, I think he is going to be so excited about it.” 

“Okay folks,” Gibbs sighed. “We need to walk these puppies before they eat the wallpaper off the walls. Let’s take them over to the land, walk them around see what they think. I am wondering if that is a mine shaft and how deep it is.”

“I was wondering that too,” Tony clipped the leashes on his girls. “I was thinking about it and if it is, I would like to turn that into a safe house and somehow connect it to the house so if we need to take cover from weather or a credible threat from work we have something set up to meet our needs.”

“That is a great idea,” Ashley smiled. “I googled it too, I found an amazing bowling alley but that wouldn’t be very practical. There were so many other ideas, but I do like what you are thinking. We need to investigate having every inch of this land evaluated so that we are not putting our baby in danger. I do not want to end up on the evening news because Abner fell down the mine shaft. Can you see the headlines? “Abner Horace DiNozzo, son of a local schoolteacher, falls down a surprise mine shaft.”

“You are not naming our baby Abner or Horace anything.” Tony growled. “I will be looking at the birth certificate very closely before I sign a darn thing. If keep with the A’s, it will not be Abner. Aaron, Andrew, or Alexi, but no Abner.”

“Walk,” Gibbs snickered. “She is yanking your chain, Tony. If you would turn around instead of letting her listen to your back, you would see the grin on her face.”

“Oh,” Tony shrugged. “I am sort of sensitive about the name, I have been trying to come up with a solid name that sounds good with DiNozzo and has a deep meaning to suggest.”

“I bought a baby name book,” Ashley stopped to fix her shoelaces. “We will figure it out. I 

“Jethro,” Ducky called out as he drove up the barely visible gravel driveway. “This is as beautiful as you said it was. Anthony, this is going to be an amazing place to raise a baby. I would be honored if you would allow me to gift you the outdoor furniture.”

“Pick something comfortable,” Tony teased. “You are going to be Uncle Ducky; I want you to be comfortable when you come over to play.”

“Uncle,” Ducky smiled with pride. “I have never been so honored, my boy. I cannot express to you how much love I feel with this great honor.”

“We do love you,” Tony hugged his friend. “What brought you out here on this chilly day?”

“Jethro was telling me how well all of you are doing and that you are buying this piece of land. When he told me, wait until you see it, I knew I had to put on my boots and come see it. It is beautiful. Look at that that orchard, it’s going to be gorgeous when those trees are budding out.” Ducky gasped as he looked around.

“There is a wishing well,” Ashley pointed to the hole in the ground. “We don’t want to disturb the wishes, we were going to clean it out and donate any money, but it seems so wrong. So, we decided to rebuild it after we make sure that the ground around it is sound.” 

“What is that?” Ducky pointed to an area in the woods were a concrete slab remained.

“That was a guest house,” Tony sighed. “I have some ideas for it, I am just waiting to see what the insurance says about the boss man’s house. If they won’t give him what they should to rebuild it, I am going to suggest he take that money and build on this lot after he sells his, of course.”

“Are we allowed to take Dr. Mallard back to the house?” Ashley shivered. “I am getting cold.”

“Yes,” Gibbs smirked. “We can take him back, we are also getting company today. Leon said he would bring our guest around lunch, with lunch.”

“This is not what I expected,” Ducky looked around the safe house. “It’s rather beautiful, I can see the touches of Ashley all around. You have made the best of a bad situation, my dear.”

“I am just so grateful that we are all safe and have a place to stay,” the young woman sighed. “If we had to hop from place to place until this baby is born, it would be so stressful.”

“Did you see your obstetrician? The stress is not good for your precious bundle, I can get my bag.” Ducky was so sincere in his worry, that it made Ashley’s heart almost burst.

“I did,” reassuring her friend, Ashley looked to Tony. “Ducky, I am healthy so is the baby. We have the gender sealed in an envelope, we are not ready to know yet.”

“Oh, that is simply delightful. I love the mystery of trying to watch for signs of the gender. The not knowing is part of the fun of being an expectant parent, I wish more people would wait.” Ducky smiled as he toured the house. “This is not bad at all, I had a mental picture that you were stranded in one large room with beds, and wood burning stove in the middle to cook on and keep you warm.”

“That actually sounds cozy,” Tony snickered. “Sort of romantic, I think I could make a baby in a setting like that.”

“Perhaps, it would be best if you work on one child at a time, Anthony.” Ducky snickered. “Dear Ashley is going to need some rest between successful, shall we say missions.”

“This is creepy,” Tony’s bride gasped. “It’s like walking in on your parents having sex, you can’t get it out of your head, and you are embarrassed to look at them.”

“Is that?” Tony was overcome with joy as he saw Vance pull up with their visitor. “Delores,” Tony met his friend at the door with his arms open wide. “I missed you, my friend. Stop crying, we are fine. Look at me, beautiful lady. We are just fine. I am so sorry we scared you, it’s okay.”

“I saw the news,” Delores sobbed. “They said you were okay at the office, but I needed to see you. When Director Vance came to me, offered me a ride I had to. Are you sure? All three of you are okay?”

“We are okay,” Gibbs reassured. “Come in , the girls are going to be so happy to see you.” Just as the word left his mouth, four wiggle butts circled their friend. “See, told you.”

“Hello my babies,” Delores leaned over and started petting. “I don’t have any cookies today, but I will make up for it next time. How is the human baby? Is he okay?”

“He?” Vance questioned.

“I refuse to call that precious child by it.” Delores shrugged. “We brought lunch, let’s eat it before it gets cold. I cannot believe how good it is to see all of you!”

There was light hearted conversation and a great deal of laughter as the group ate. Everyone was so relaxed and unsuspecting that they were not sure what to think when Vance cleared his throat.

“Ms. Bromstead,” the director was about to surface in full gear. “Doctor Mallard.” Pushing his chair back, Vance studied both people in front of him. “I did not hesitate to allow you to come to this location because I trust you. It was also because with some of the restructuring going on at NCIS and the need to have this specialized unit, I have given a great deal of thought to how much your expertise could aid in our investigations.”

“I don’t understand,” Delores looked to see Ducky just as confused.  
“Dr. Mallard, we could use your expertise in reviewing the medical records of the employees and looking at the crime scene through the eyes of someone that sees things more scientifically. Ms. Bromstead, I feel that your experience in Human Resources would help us spot any and all inconsistencies in employment files, things that do not seem to be adding up, so to speak, that would flag possible wrong doing on a case. You both would work from there offices on these ground, you would have a pay bump to reflect the advancement of the job position within the agency. Doctor Mallard, we could work around your book tours, vacations, semi-retirement. I thought it would be something to keep you engaged in a bit more than the archives.” Vance watched as his two employees thought out the offer.

“I would be here with Tony and Agent Gibbs?” Delores glanced at her friends relieved to get a nod. “I would love to work this position; I think it would be a great change of pace. Can I finally become polygraph certified? I took the class, passed the test, they need your approval to finish the paperwork so I can have my certificate.”

“We can make that happen,” Vance nodded. “Doctor?”

“I do believe that this would be a good transition for me,” sighing Ducky looked to his friends. “I am fearful that my mind will slip, like mother’s and this may be just what I need to keep it stimulated.”

“We will be living around the corner,” Ashley watched as Delores took in the information. “You are welcome to come for dinner several times a week. We will even set up a schedule so you know when we are cooking.”

“That would be delightful,” Delores smiled. “It’s like having a family.”

“My dear,” Ducky took the woman by the hand. “This is family, we protect our own.”

“If we are done being mushy, I was thinking that a tour of the office building. Let’s get a list together of what you will need for office supplies. I have a catalog for you to pick from on your desks and chairs.” Leon commented as he started the tour. “We are going to put tables in this large room, Gibbs and DiNozzo have been known to have piles of evidence circling a room so we knocked out a wall to two offices to make one big room.”

“Internet connection is secure and strong,” Tony opened the door and presented a room with great flourish. “We have the break room that would be the envy of everyone! Full kitchen, full sized fridge. There are enough cupboards in here if you want to claim one and stock it you can. We have been going to Costco and stocking the snacks, to the farmer’s market to stock the fruit. Ashley sends gallons of milk, orange juice and coffee with me. Everyone has been pitching in on the coffee since they drink it too. We always keep two pots going because of Gibbs. If you drink something special in your coffee, just put your name on it but we do share. The flavored creamers are mine, but I do share with a pout.”

“You will also have cabinets in your offices,” Vance laughed. “That if you want to keep something special away from the bottomless pit staff, it can be stored there but they do mind their manners. The dress code is casual, we do make sure that all personnel that go onsite to investigate a matter wear something with NCIS’s emblem on it. You will also be required to wear a bullet proof vest; you never know when something is going to go astray.”

“When do we start?” Ducky smirked at the Director.

“You can report to your new position on Monday,” Vance watched as Delores’s eyes danced at the idea of being back with her friends. “Let’s figure out your desks, cabinets, coat racks.”

“Our budget comes from private contracts,” Gibbs explained. “This division is contracted to investigate white collar type crimes, there is a fee that comes with the hiring of this division. Secretary Porter found a need for this type of unit while in the field.”

“Interesting,” Ducky shrugged.

“Salaries are still under the umbrella of NCIS, you are still working with the full cooperation and resources of the agency. In order to maintain this location, the money collected is used for supplies, utilities and other extras.”

“Gibbs,” Stan made his way to the door. “Your phone is ringing, it’s Tobias Fornell.”

“Here comes a private training session,” Gibbs snorted as he took his phone from Stan. “Yeah, Tobias. We can set up your training for tomorrow. You will have our best training agent accompanying you. Meet me at the diner at 7:30 a.m.”

“You know that he is going to have a meltdown,” Tony snickered.

“Enjoy every minute of it, Best Training Agent.” Gibbs winked.

With Tony training Tobias, Gibbs oversaw showing Ducky and Delores the ropes in their new positions. “Your office furniture comes later today; it will be all set up and ready to go tomorrow. Joanna is going to teach you the computer program, it was easy to learn. I will be back in a bit for lunch, I need to go see if Tony needs earplugs or not.”

By the end of the day, everyone had earned that pizza that Ashley picked up on her way home from work. It was taking some getting used to, but she was easily catching onto how to enter their temporary home.

“I have news,” Tony met his bride at the car. “I did the wire transfer for the land and I have the schematics! That is a wishing well that you found. That opening that Gibbs found is a mine and it is deep, but they already started renovating it as a shelter. According to the daughter, her parents were doomsday preppers and whatever we find, is ours to keep.”

“I can’t wait to see what you are going to do with the land,” Delores sighed. “It would be nice to have a house, I like my apartment but to be able to walk outside without being surrounded by concrete would be something.”

“Well,” Tony studied the schematics closely. “We have some exploring to do! I see structures everywhere.”

“Eat,” Ashley mumbled around her pizza. “I’m not giving up my food; I am eating for two.”

“Jethro,” Tobias panted as he knocked on the door. “Let me in, damn it.”

“Don’t cuss in front of the baby,” Ashley scolded as she opened the door. “Even if it is temporary, this is our home. You will show some manners and respect if you expect to walk through our door. What do you want?”

“I’m sorry,” Fornell took a step back and admired the younger woman’s glow. “That glow is beautiful on you. I already bought a couple baby gifts; Emily has gone crazy with picking things out and picking up things.”

“Would you like a piece of pizza and a cold beer?” Ashley watched as gratitude settled over her friend’s face. “Did Tony work you over?”

“He did,” Tobias sighed as he wrapped his hands around a cold beer. “It felt good to be back in the game though. He’s good at what he does, I think I actually learned something today.”

“Look at the layout of what was on this land,” Tony started pointing out different structures. “We are going to have to either seal off or utilize these, for safety reasons.” 

“We’ll get some flags and mark it off,” Gibbs studied the plans. “There was another house in the woods, I wonder what it looked like?”

“I was reading that they used to do hayrides and haunted woods, I bet there are pictures somewhere.” Ashley commented. “I will do some more research; I was lost in the history of the land on my break that I didn’t think to look for pictures.”

“Orchard and crops?” Tobias studied the page. “That land is a gold mine, DiNozzo.”

“I need to walk,” Ashley sighed. “Way too much pizza and Owen likes the motion of mommy walking.”

By the time the group returned from their walk, the DiNozzo’s had decided it was time to find out the gender of their baby. It was going to be something from their friends to look forward to in addition to the plans to build.

“Yeah, Gibbs.” Jethro answered his phone walking it outside as he recognized the voice. Returning with a bit of defeat on his face, Gibbs made his way to his room and closed the door.

“Let me,” Ashley knocked as she pushed the door open. “What did the insurance adjustor say?”

“The structure is not safe, the cost to repair is more than the cost to tear it down and rebuild.” Gibbs sighed. “I knew it was a possibility, but I wasn’t ready to hear it.”

“Would you be ready to hear that Tony and I talked, and we were going to offer you part of the land to build on?” Ashley stood and walked to the window. “Jethro, I do not want my family around us, they are deplorable people. Tony’s father is more concerned about himself, than he is anything or anyone else. You are like a father to both of us, we want you to be with us for all the things that a grandparent should be part of.”

“I accept.” Gibbs whispered.

“We need you in our lives,” Ashley started to cry. “I know nothing about being a mom, Tony’s freaking out over being a dad. You are this solid, constant person in our lives that we know that if we screw up, you will be there to show us the way to fix it.”

“I will be there,” Gibbs reassured.

“I can’t imagine doing any of this without you and those people out there as part of it,” wiping her tears, she turned to Gibbs. “You agreed?”

“I agreed,” Gibbs snorted with laughter. “Once I saw that structure’s foundation that was in the woods, I was trying to figure out a way to ask you about it. My dream home, is similar to the cabin.”

“You could have a big room off it for the boat,” Ashley laughed. “No more basement.”

“I like that,” Gibbs sighed. “Got to talk to Leon about storing my stuff a bit longer, I have to call to get the land cleared and then sell it.”

“I think we could work on selling it while you clear it,” Ashley suggested. “It’s not like they won’t know that it will be cleared off down to the foundation.”

“Kelly buried a time capsule under a large bush, in the yard.” Gibbs hung his head in sadness. “Could I bring the bushes and the time capsule?”

“You can bring anything that you want,” Tony whispered as he stepped into the room. “That will be your home with no string attached. Your happiness is our happiness.”

“Tony,” Ashley paused. “Is there anyway to make an apartment for Delores somewhere?”

“I was thinking the same thing,” Tony shrugged. “After everyone leaves, we will work on some plans. Get someone out here to mark off the land and start working on our homes. Let’s keep it a surprise for her, she is going to be so excited.”


	17. Gender Reveal

“Neighbor’s house is gone too,” Gibbs sighed as he walked in the door after the demolition was completed. “He is going to buy my lot and rebuild in the center of both, he wants some yard for his dogs. I got my bushes out, Kelly’s time capsule is in the trunk of my car. I was thinking about planting the bushes at what will be the side of my house, but I don’t want to wait to replant them so I have designed an island that will be ..” Gibbs stopped to look down at his drawing.

“It’s a tribute garden,” Ashley gasped. “It’s beautiful. Your girls would be so honored to know that something alive and beautiful will be representing their lives.”

“Grace is on your phone,” Tony handed his wife her cell. “That is beautiful, Gibbs. We need to come up with something for Jack, he would love this.”

“When does your dad get back from Florida?” Ashley called to Tony. “Grace is changing what she wants to do for the gender reveal, long story, but she wants to make sure he is here.”

“Today is March 14th, he is due back in three weeks.” Tony sighed. “Probably shouldn’t plan for that weekend in case he misses his flight.”

“April 11th.” Ashley commented to Grace. “Yes, I know I will be 29 weeks. I know that it will be six weeks since we said let’s do it. We are still loving the mystery of it; we will be fine.”

“Grace doesn’t seem too happy with the timeline,” Tony sighed. “I know it’s exciting, but it’s our baby and we really do want to wait. We also don’t want a bunch of people there that have no emotional attachment to us. Ash and I want to keep it simple.”

“Okay,” Ashley sighed as she hung up. “I am regretting saying we were ready to find out, we should have just had the doctor tell us and not worried about a gender reveal.”

“We didn’t want to know immediately,” Tony reminded Ashley. “Where’d Gibbs go?” Tony turned to find his friend gone. 

“He’s on the phone,” Delores commented as she walked into the house. “He let me in, I wanted to bring you this cute little stuffed kitten I saw when I was shopping over the weekend.”

“Oh, it’s so cute!” Ashley giggled. “I can’t wait until we have a house so we can put things in the baby’s room.”

“Thomas is coming tomorrow to see the land,” Tony beamed. “He’s been doing some sketches based on what I told him about it. He is so excited it give us a modern farmhouse feel.”

“Barn doors?” Delores questioned. “I love the way they look! My dream house has barn doors, a walk-in shower with a bench. Double doors to the outside in the bedroom to sleep with the breeze blowing in or to just lay there and watch it snow.”

“Sounds amazing,” Ashley whispered as she took mental notes. “I want a wrap around porch with a swing and an outdoor fireplace. My list is long, I keep writing things down.”

“Money transferred on my land,” Gibbs sighed in relief. “It feels right. Shannon would have wanted to move by now, she didn’t like the kitchen.”

“Have you sketched anything?” Delores questioned Gibbs softly. “I imagine you with a play area for the little one. A fireplace with a big TV over it, big comfy sofa to sink into at the end of the day.”

“I was thinking an island in the kitchen with an eat at bar, but also a kitchen table. I was thinking of a large back porch to grill but build in my grill to keep the little one safe.” Gibbs flipped the page on his sketch pad. “I was thinking a two-car garage with an attached shed and a workshop, keeps the sawdust out of the house.”

“Big log bed?” Delores looked at the sketches. “You should have a walk-in shower with the overhead shower head and the jets that come out of the wall. That would feel so good after a long day at work or coming in from working on the boat.”

“She has a way with him,” Tony whispered as he watched his friends interact. “Nice to see them both being friends, it’s good for them.”

“You should come with me to pick out my furniture,” Gibbs suggested. “You seem to know my taste, very well.”

“I would love to! I have not shopped for furniture in twenty years.” Delores smiled. “I have been saving every penny of my money since I started at NCIS. I was hoping to build my own house someday. I want to own something, to show that I accomplished something.”

“Delores,” Ashley and Tony stepped up. “We had been planning to surprise you, but we were listening and think that this should be your choices. There is more than enough room on this land for you to build. We will have them figure out the property taxes for each structure. I see your wheels turning, I know have ideas. All the utilities will be in your name, I am going to charge you $100 for the parcel and that is it.”

“Tony, that isn’t right. I should pay what the land is worth.” Delores felt her eyes fill with tears.

“Heck no,” Tony snickered. “You are going to have a job on the farm; you will more than earn the piece of land. Now, go look on house plan websites and find one that fits what you want and we’ll see how much the builder says it will be.”

“I already picked it out,” Delores laughed. “Years ago, it’s perfect for me. Look at it!”

“That is perfect,” Tony studied it. 

“Let me see that,” Gibbs studied the plans. “I love that bathroom and closet. A bit of a modification for a play area in the living room and I think it’s perfect for me too. You don’t mind, do you?”

“Not at all,” Delores laughed. “It will be fun to see how yours and mine differ. I can’t believe this is happening.”

“Peel potatoes while you work on believing it,” Ashley laughed as she started rinsing the chicken. “You’re staying for dinner in case you didn’t guess. I want your help trying to figure out this baby registry.”

With the dinner dishes done, the ladies sat down with the laptop to work on the baby registries. Delores was very honored to be part of such an important task involving the baby.

Saturday arrived with sunshine and unseasonably warm temperatures which meant Tony and Gibbs were walking the property with the map marking the items shown. “Where do you want to build?” Tony questioned as they walked up on one of the three foundations for outbuildings. 

“I was thinking that if you don’t mind the driveway being cut in long, I would like to be in the woods. I checked out that concrete slab, it’s going to need replaced but the rest looks good. I planted the shrubs from the house in the area that I have marked as my backyard.” Gibbs waved a roll of bright orange string to mark off the house.

“It is getting real,” Tony blew out a breath. “I am so excited for us to get out of the safe house. It’s been nice to have a roof over our heads, but I am tired of feeling like we can’t even drop a crumb because someone is always lurking around.”

“Your builder will be here on Monday to talk the plans that Thomas has over with you.” Gibbs looked at the calendar on the wall. “I am going to meet with him too, I want to show him the plans for my place and for Delores too, he may want the job or he may have a crew that he uses as an add on.”

“If our place is ready before yours,” Tony looked up to see Gibbs watching him. “You are welcome to stay with us until your is finished. Unless you want to camp out at the safe house; your choice.”

“Hey,” Grace called out as she walked up on where the men were roping off the houses. “I was wondering if you had any objection to having your gender reveal out here.”

“On our land?” Tony looked around. “You’re going to have to set it up away from where we have roped off or flagged off. There cannot be any children, we can’t have them wandering off and falling down an unblock structure.”

“I was planning for by the orchard,” Grace pointed to the trees. “I need to borrow that big oak tree.”

“Works for me,” Tony winked as he learned over to kiss Grace on the cheek. “Don’t stress yourself out over this. Whatever you do, if you keep it to the people that mean the most to us, will be fantastic. We can video my dad in if you want.”

“Meet me here at 9 a.m. next Saturday,” Grace nodded as she turned on her heels to leave. “It’s going to be beautiful.”

Tony and Gibbs worked around the land, marking off the houses and taking a good look at all hazards and marking them for either demolition or construction. “I think we got everything.” Tony looked around. “Are you as excited to build as I am?”

“I am,” Gibbs stretched as he took in the view of his future home. “It’s going to be good for all of us. Delores is going to enjoy being with family, she’s good people.”

“Her birthday is in a couple weeks” Tony paused. “Wonder if we could do a small party?”

“We have the time to pull it off,” Gibbs pointed to where Ashley was pulling into the driveway. “Lunch is here via our party planner.”

“Hey,” Ashley held up boxes. “I found a new place over on Market St., it just opened across from the farmer’s market. The aroma coming from there guided me. I got us onion rings, fries, ribs and chicken. They let me taste the onion rings, I played the starving pregnant woman card. They are amazing.”

“Let’s eat,” Tony pointed to the concrete blocks and pieces of plywood they had covering the opening to wishing well. “Table and chairs right there.”

“Grace was here,” Gibbs mumbled around some food. “Gender reveal is Saturday at 9 am. She said it will be beautiful. 

“I love that,” Ashley started thinking. “We should have it catered by this place; this food is good. We need to come up with a theme, something that she would love or something that is a bucket list type thing.”

“Whatever we figure out,” Tony looked to Gibbs. “It has to be a dream for her. For everything that she has gone through in life because of the idiots at NCIS. We can’t change what anyone has said or done, but we can change how she feels about herself and her future.”

“Can we throw a ball?” Ashley looked to the two men. “I will make us hair appointments that day, we can get hair and make up done. She can go with me to pick out a dress and we’ll get her what she eyes.”

“I want to help,” Tobias commented as he stepped up and stole an onion ring. “Oh my god, that is so good. Where did you go?” 

“Pull up a block,” Tony pointed. “We have a lot of food to share. You really want to help? It’s Delores, you know who she is right?”

“I do know who she is,” Tobias growled. “If you are her friend, your attitude needs to change too, DiNozzo. You could have skipped that last part; she is a nice lady and kicked my ass at poker the other day.”

“You are right,” Tony stood and walked away from his lunch. 

“Hey,” Gibbs made his way to his friend. “You did not mean to disrespect her, I think you have spent so much time trying to protect her that it came out wrong. Come back and finish your lunch; I think we can come up with a night to remember for her.”

“That’s it!” Tony whispered. “A night to remember is our theme for her ball.”

The next week went by quickly as the group worked on the details of the party, notifying guests and trying to not think of their gender reveal just days away. By Friday evening, they had picked the guests, the venue, and decorations. There was a plan for hair, make up and dresses; it was carefully hidden in a pampering of the expectant mama day.

“We ready?” Gibbs questioned his friends as the clock approached 9 a.m. on Saturday morning. 

“I am,” Ashley paused. “But I am not. I like the mystery, but I know we need to plan.”

“I feel the same,” Tony placed his hand on his wife’s baby bump. “Whatever you are, little sweetheart, I am going to love you. I promise to be the best daddy that I can be to you.”

The two men walked on either side of the expectant mom, their hands hold hers in a gesture of family. Stopping to watch Grace and Delores put the finishing touches on the tables, the trio were moved to tears by how sweet the set up was.

There were three tables for guests, a buffet table with every flavor of donut, bagel and cream cheese that you could imagine. The center of the table contained a heart balloons to match the yellow rose topiaries on the tables. 

“This is beautiful,” Ashley hugged her friends. “It’s perfect, you both did a beautiful job.”

“Here come your guests,” Delores pointed to where Tony’s father, Director Vance, Ducky, Thomas, Secretary Porter, Leyla, Amira, Kasie, Tobias and Emily were approaching. 

“All the people we love,” Tony whispered. “Thank you all for sharing this with us. I cannot imagine doing this without all of you there by our sides.”

“Do you want to find out what this baby is?” Grace pointed to the paper lanterns hanging from the leafless trees in the orchard. “There is a pinata in there somewhere, one pull of the string and you will know. Just to be clear, I don’t know either. I handed over your envelope to the person where I purchased the pinata.”

“Let’s do it,” Ashley took Senior and Gibbs by the hands and pulled them towards the balloon with Tony following them. “Ready, daddy?”

“I’m ready, mommy.” Tony placed his hand on the string with his wife pulling his father’s hand to his while Ashley guided Gibbs to place his hand next to hers. “Pull.”

“Oh my god!” Ashley cried out as the blue confetti showered them. “A little boy! We’re having a son!”

“Congratulations,” Gibbs hugged his friends. “I am so excited for us.”

“Junior,” Senior stood choked up. “We’re having a baby.”

“Yes, we are.” Tony whispered around his tears as his hand cupped Ashley’s stomach. “Hello, sweet boy. I am your daddy, I can’t wait to meet you.”

“A boy,” Gibbs smiled ear to ear. “Fun times ahead.”

The small group hugged and cried at the prospect of such a joyous occasion. They chatted as they ate, everyone having a great deal of interest in the orchard and garden. Touring the land carefully, they listened to the plans that were pending and interjected their suggestion which seemed to spark more ideas.

“Can I throw your baby shower?” Delores questioned softly. 

The joy that passed over Ashley and Tony’s faces made Delores weak in the knees. The emotion was not overlooked by the expectant parents as they grabbed her in a hug to bestow love and give her some support. “We would be so honored.” Ashley whispered. “I will help you with the guest list, my work people are easy to reach they have mailboxes at the school.”

“Can I help you with it?” Kasie whispered to Delores. “Never planned one before, but we have the internet and I have bakery connections.”

“I would love that,” Delores turned to Kasie. “Are you sure you want to work with me? I’m not exactly known for my social skills around NCIS.”

“I do want to work with you,” Kasie leaned in closer. “I was never scared of you, I wanted to be your friend from the day I filled out paperwork but was not sure how to ask. You have the most amazing ship in the bottle on the shelf behind you, I knew we would click immediately.”

“Do you want them to keep it secret?” Gibbs questioned to start setting some parameters.

“No, I would not act like it’s some top secret event,” Tony sighed. “Just let the idiots on Stan’s team know, if they ask, it’s by invite only. Please make sure that Stan and his fiancé get one though.”

“Get me a list,” Delores winked. “I am so excited and honored to do this for you. I am going to get something to eat, we will talk dates and things during the week. Your father wanted to talk to me about something too, I better go see what he wanted.”

“She’s finding her way,” Vance pointed to Delores as he walked up to congratulate Tony. “The move to our new division is good for her, she is gaining confidence.”

“She feels like she belongs,” Ashley said softly. “For the first time in all her years with NCIS, she has people to lean on. She has family now; she told me that she looks forward to tomorrow now.”

“Come eat,” Grace pointed to the food. “We have a ton of food and I do not want to have to make room for all of this at my house.”

“Do you have a name picked out for the little man?” Secretary Porter questioned as she extended her gratitude for being included. “Going to continue to the A’s?”

“We have about fifty names on a list,” Tony snickered. “I have no idea how we are going to choose, but we will work it out somehow.”

“I am hungry,” Ashley whispered to Tony. “I need more than a bagel, can we sneak out of here?”

“Take me with you,” Gibbs snickered. “I am ready to eat the bark off the tree, those savages left nothing but crumbs.”

With their friends engaged in conversation, Gibbs motioned for Senior to join them as they escaped down the path to the safe house. “Real food?”

“Yes, please.” Tony’s father laughed. “I think someone ate my bagel. I had put it down to come pull the string with you, it was gone by the time we got back to it.”

The family spent the rest of the day making plans for the house, listening to music and eating. They were looking forward to the future and Senior was beyond touched that he was asked to come home early to be part of such an important event.

TBC

Okay , there you go. I will have more soon. I apologize for the delay. I had my teeth extracted on October 30th and it’s been a little rough going. My food intake is limited to extremely soft foods or semi-liquid. I am starving! The whole process was a horror story because the dentist sucked and so did his dentures that he fit me with immediately afterwards. I am battling a little depression over making the decision to go to this place that I went. The first good look in the mirror of my toothless self was shocking and the fact that my friends seem to not support this chapter of my life…. All was good until I said I was getting dentures at my age and they found out that I wore partials at that point. People can be so strange… very superficial. I just ask for patience right now, I am okay but it’s hard so… patience.


	18. Chapter 18

“Wow,” Vance exclaimed as he walked onto the DiNozzo property. “They got a lot done since Monday.”

“Filled in all the strange structures that were here,” Tony pointed to his diagram where he was marking things off. “They scooped everything out of the wishing well and filled that in. I keep having dreams of my son lost down the well, I don’t want to take that chance.”

“What is happening to the contents?” Vance looked at the scoop of dirt that was on a large tarp. “Is that it?”

“It is,” Tony confirmed. “The boy scouts are coming to sift through it and they will use what is there to make purchases for the foster group home over on Lincoln Ave.”

“Noble cause,” Vance commented as he walked towards the large hole representing the crawl space that will run under the house. “What is that deeper hole?”

“Storm shelter,” Tony sighed. “Each house will have one, Gibbs has a crew that is going to come in and construct the safety structure that will have a hidden door in the equipment barn.”

“Smart,” Vance turned towards Tony. “Where’s the boy’s sandbox going to go that Uncle Leon is going to build for him?”

“We have a lot of land; I am sure once the house is done you will find the perfect spot. Just make sure, it’s big enough for Uncle Leon to play in it with him too.”

“I promise to do just that,” Vance laughed. “I stopped by to see how it was going before heading over to see Gibbs, he wanted to talk to me about the grievance that McGee filed.”

“I will go with you,” Tony rolled up the papers he had out. “We are both angry over it, he has no right to try to file any time of charges against us. These charges scream that his fragile ego cannot deal with the fact that he was not picked for the new unit.”

“Secretary Porter agrees with you,” Vance sighed. “She has a lawyer from JAG looking at it to advise on how to handle it. It was her feeling that this would be the best way to go. We both agree that we need to do something with him to shut him up before he gives away anything about this office.”

“We could change the layout by the road where he turns in,” Tony suggested. “If he doesn’t have that dirt road between the two trees to go by, he won’t find it.”

“I know just the person for the job,” Vance snickered as he pulled out his phone. “How did you hide the sale of the land?”

“We opened a family trust,” Tony snickered. “Named it after all of us in a weird TV couple ship name consolidation.”

“Smart move, let’s go discuss this McGee thing with grandpa so we can get back to planning sandboxes for my nephew.” Vance started down the path that led to the other property. “I am very proud of you, Tony.”

“Thank you,” Tony whispered around the emotions that were bubbling in his throat. 

“So, we agree that McGee needs to be handled.” Vance sighed. “I had some ideas for a cyber crimes unit; he would be perfect for it. I was going to attach it here, but there is no way he can come to the same building you are in without it causing major issues. I think I will have them renovate that area where Ms. Bromstead’s office was and make that cyber.”

“Keep him where you can watch him,” Gibbs nodded. “Those cameras that we put up to keep Delores safe will serve another purpose.”

“You put those up for my safety?” Delores whispered; her heart was so touched that someone cared about her that much. “I didn’t realize. I was not listening intentionally. I was coming to show you a change to the house plans that I was thinking about before I meet with the builder today.”

“What are you changing?” Gibbs pointed to the table for Delores to place her plans. “Covered back patio? It is beautiful, those planters are amazing. You are a talented artist. Tony, did you see how well she can draw?”

“Wow,” Tony was genuinely impressed. “You are so talented; I can’t believe that I didn’t know this part of you.”

“I am not that confident,” Delores sighed. “I stay to myself; it is how I keep myself from being hurt repeatedly. Director Vance,” Delores backed away towards the door when Vance moved in to look at her drawings. “I am going to go talk to the builder, he will be waiting for me. I did not mean to barge in.”

“Delores,” Vance called out to the retreating woman. “You are gifted, don’t hide it.”

With the builders on board with the plans for the land, Tony felt relief. Things were coming together quickly. They had agreed that the main house would be the first thing to be built, with another team working to frame up the houses for Gibbs and Delores, hoping to get the roof on before the April showers hit.

“I am so nervous and so excited,” Delores laughed through her tears as she watched the foundation for her home being poured. “If it was not for baby shower distracting me, I would be going crazy.”

“Your baby shower invitations are adorable,” Grace commented as she walked up behind the observers. “Those blue glitter baby footprints, melt my heart. I got your message that you would like some help with the shower. I am here to lend a hand!”

“That is great,” Delores turned on her heels. “Come with me, we have a command center set up at my apartment. “Kasie can be video conferenced in, she’s been so busy with the decorations. She insisted on working on them herself, she has dreamed of being asked to do a shower.”

With the finishing touches being placed on the baby shower, Delores was oblivious to the magic that was being planned for her birthday. “How is it going?” Tony asked as he stepped into the back bedroom where Gibbs was working with Ashley on how to execute party day.

“Grace and Kasie are going to take her to the beauty parlor,” Ashley sighed. “Not sure how well that is going to go. I will meet them there, call it a girl’s day and then we will go pick out dresses. With Grace and Kasie playing dress up, we should be able to find her a dress.”

“The roof top at NCIS has been made into a beautiful ball room. There are fire pits all over the place to keep warm, none of them present a danger to the building, we made sure. The sky is supposed to clear tonight, there should be a beautiful view.” Gibbs found himself caught up in the arrangements.

“The conference room on the top floor has been turned into our dining area. They placed the table clothes that we found on the tables, placed the centerpieces and the gifts.” Ashley resumed her update. “Our gifts are on the bed, we will add them when we get there. I wrapped the beautiful art supply set that you got her. She is going to be so moved, that set is incredible.”

“You have to go,” Tony looked at the time. “Be safe, I love you. Listen up, little buddy. You help mommy!”

Grace, Kasie and Delores were looking at hair magazines when Ashley arrived. “I am so sorry that I am late! I peed five times before I left, blame the baby.”

“What do you think of this one?” Delores held up a picture. “I haven’t changed my hair style in thirty years, I can’t believe I am going to do this.”

“That style will look beautiful on you,” a younger woman with an apron walked up on the conversation. “We could heighten your beautiful color with a conditioning color rinse that we just in. You have beautiful natural highlights, come with me. You are going to go from beautiful to stunning.”

“She is amazing,” Ashley whispered to Grace. “I expected a bit of fight from her.”

“Oh no,” Kasie shook her head. “That woman is not the same woman that we worked with a month ago. There is so much more personality to her. She told me that she feels safe to show the real her now. You have no idea how much this baby has changed all our lives.”

“Kasie!” Ashley exclaimed as they met in the front of the salon. “Your hair looks gorgeous straight!” Turning around, she found her friend sitting with her head hanging down. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s so different,” Delores whispered. “I don’t know.”

“Okay,” Ashley sat on the chair next to her friend. “Lift your head so I can see. Oh, my word, Delores. You are beautiful, that hair style compliments your face, and that color is beautiful. Your eyes dance on that gorgeous face, I can’t believe how much softer it makes your features.”

“Hey,” Palmer made his way inside. “I didn’t know you came here, Kasie. Dr. Grace, you cut your hair! Delores? Is that you?”

“Yes,” the older woman cleared her throat as she choked on the words.

“You are stunning,” Jimmy’s face was so pure with emotion that it took Delores by surprise. “Why have you been hiding those beautiful eyes of yours all these years?”

“You are very kind, Dr. Palmer.” Delores moved towards the cash register to pay. “Thank you.”

“We need to do some work,” Palmer sighed. “She’s so gorgeous, we just have to get her to understand that she has a lot of beauty inside and out to offer the world.”

“Oh,” Ashley gasped as she walked past the dress shop window on their way to the car. “Can we go in? Try on some dresses? Drive the sales associates crazy when we leave empty handed?”

A very unsuspecting Delores was caught up in the moment of trying on dresses with her friends. “I have never had girlfriends to do this stuff with before.” The voice was full of joy as she looked at herself and her friends in the mirror. “We look beautiful.”

“We do look good,” Kasie twirled in front of the mirror. “Nice to be in something besides a lab coat.”

“Where’d you get those boobs?” Ashley teased. “You can’t tell you even have any in that lab coat. Look at that gorgeous neck on Delores. Who knew that was beneath those high neckline shirts.”

“Forget her neck, she beautiful posture and shoulders.” The sales associate commented. “You would look beautiful in a strapless. We’d have to get you a push up bra, see if we can’t accent that which the good Lord gave you, but you could pull it off.”

“I wouldn’t feel comfortable in a strapless,” Delores shook her head. 

“Me either,” Ashley snorted with laughter. “As full as my breasts feel, I would be worried one of my boobs would pop out and spray breast milk on everyone around me.” 

“Can you imagine Gibbs trying to recover from that,” Delores gasped in laughter. 

“Or Dr. Mallard,” Kasie snorted. 

“What would Director Vance do?” Grace bent over in laughter.

“Agent DiNozzo, is that something that should be handled in private?” Ashley did her best Vance impression. “As he pulls a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe off his face.”

“How about this one,” Kasie struggled with a serious face. “That was the most unexpected display of lactation; but don’t worry dear it happens to the best of us.”

“Ducky would say that,” Delores gasped in laughter. “I haven’t laughed like this in years. Oh, my sides hurt from laughing.”

“We should get changed,” Ashley looked at the time. “Be careful of your hair, I have an idea for something fun.” Whispering to the sales associate that she would pay for her dress and the one Delores loved, Ashley made her way to get changed.

“Here you go,” Sally, the sales associate handed the ladies their bags. “You are going to be beautiful tonight.”

“Tonight?” Delores looked confused. 

“We are going to dress up and have a good time,” Grace handed Delores her dress. “You are coming with me to get ready. Kasie, you go with Ashley and we will meet you in ninety minutes for a very fancy dinner.”

Delores was very confused as she stood in the elevator waiting to arrive at the top floor of NCIS. “Why are we here? I thought we were going to dinner.”

The doors opened to find Gibbs dressed in his nicest suit with his arm out to escort the woman of honor into her party. “Good evening, would you do me the honor of being my date for your party?”

“My party?” Confusion clouded any moment that could have been consumed by nerves.

“Happy Birthday,” Tony leaned in for a kiss to the cheek. “We hope you will love a night under the stars. Your friends have gathered with good food, good music, good wine and presents to celebrate the beautiful woman that I have grown to realize that you are.”

“I forgot it was my birthday,” Delores gasped as she stepped onto the roof to see the strings of lights, the lanterns lining the skylight and the sound of music filling the air. “It’s beautiful, Tony.”

“If you will excuse us,” Vance took Delores by the hand. “The first dance is mine, my lady.” 

Delores spent the evening dancing around the rooftop with Vance, Tobias, Gibbs, Tony, Stan, Jimmy and Ducky. She even managed to get a few group dances in with her gal pals. 

“What is going on up there?” Torres commented as he looked up at the movement around the skylight. “We are working our asses off and there is a party going on?”

“We are working our asses off because you wiped out two weeks of reports,” Tim growled. “Why the hell were you even on my computer?”

“Why isn’t Burley here?” Bishop sighed. 

“Oh, I am here, I was up at the party. How are those reports coming? I expect them on my desk in fifteen minutes.” Stan stood in the middle of the bullpen in his suit with his fiancé on his arm. “Get them done, I want to go back to the party.”

“Nick,” Bishop called after Torres as he headed towards the stairs. 

A quick call to Gibbs and Burley knew things would be handled on the roof, he would be ready to kick his subordinate’s butt upon his return. 

“Gibbs,” Nick as surprised to see his former boss waiting by the steps as Happy Birthday rang out from the conference room. “You are having a party for the human resource rat on the roof?”

“What did you call her?” Gibbs growled. 

“Come on, Gibbs. She’s the ugliest woman that I have ever seen; nobody likes her. Admit it, you are only here for the food and the booze.” Torres snickered as he spoke. “Nobody likes her.”

“Downstairs,” Vance growled from behind Gibbs. “Get your ass downstairs, Burley is waiting for you. In fact, I think I will accompany you to make sure you actually get there. You are pathetic.”

“Torres,” Gibbs growled. “That woman has more class in her little finger than you have in your whole body. You have no idea what an incredible person she is. Actually, you do not deserve to know what an incredible person she is. Get the hell out of my face.” 

Torres felt Vance push him into the elevator, his irritation growing that people were defending this woman. “Come on, Director. You can’t be serious.” Torres whined as the elevator doors closed.

“Everything okay?” Delores made her way back to her date. “You should come eat something.”

“Just fine,” Gibbs nodded. “I am starving. Did you save me a seat at your table?”

“Of course,” Delores turned to look at the elevator doors. “Agent Gibbs? What did Agent Torres want?”

“An invitation to your party,” Gibbs snickered. “He was not dressed for the occasion.”

When the night was over, the party guests carried their gifts out to the back of Tony’s SUV for Delores to take home. They had all graciously helped clean up so that everyone was able to get home safe and sound. 

“You look beautiful tonight,” Tony whispered as he held the door for Delores to exit NCIS. “I felt the joy coming from you every time you walked past me. You looked so happy.”

“I am happy,” Delores paused at the corner of the sidewalk. “Your friendship changed me all those years ago, Tony. I just did not realize until you got married how much I was holding myself back from allowing it to fully happen.”

“What do you mean?” Tony offered his arm for Delores to grasp as they walked across the parking lot to his vehicle.

“That doll was more than just a childhood memory,” Delores sighed. “It was a door to a friendship and a much different future for me. I held back because I feared getting hurt. When you came to me and told me you were going to propose to Ashley; you asked for my help with the ring. It was then that I realized that no matter where your future took you; I was part of your inner circle.”

“You are one of my best friends,” Tony squeezed his friend’s hand. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Delores whispered through her tears. “You have given me so much. I have friends and family now; I woke up this morning excited to work on the baby shower and see the house progress. When I was tricked into the hair, make up and dress today, I did not mind. I was not scared of nervous; I was so touched. I feel safe with you and those that you brought into my life.”

“You are safe with us,” Tony confirmed. “Safe and loved. I want you to spend the rest of your life looking forward to what tomorrow may hold.”

“I am hoping it will be holding lots of DiNozzo babies,” Delores teased. “We need to talk about your daughter, I think you should start working on her before the little dude turns a year old. Have four close together, take a bit of a break and have three more.”

“Seven,” Tony laughed hard. “We’re going to have to see how Ashley feels about that.”

“Party pooper,” Delores snickered as she got into Tony’s SUV. 

Note: Hey readers, I don’t hear from you much anymore. How are you doing? I hope from the bottom of my heart that you are healthy and hanging in there!


	19. Chapter 19

“Jason,” Tony called out to the construction foreman. “We have everything picked out; I have what you need to know in these folders. When you are ready for the different skilled trades, you just let me know and we’ll get them rolling.”

“Plumbers are here today,” Harold pointed towards the main house. “Your place will be finished today, and he said tomorrow he can get Ms. Bromstead’s and Agent Gibbs’s done tomorrow. We’ll have the electrician come in after that, we didn’t want to risk wiring with the plumbing.”

“Well,” Tony snorted. “I guess you don’t need me, I will leave these with you. If you can have Dave figure how much of each flooring we need and how much paint, we can get that ordered. The kitchen planner supposedly has the kitchen correct, but I want Dave to look that over too for all three houses.”

“You got it, Tony.” Jason paused before turning towards Tony. “This house for Ms. Bromstead, she’s very special to you?”

“She is one of my best friends,” Tony smiled at his interrogator. “She is single and precious. If you are going to make a move, do it gently and be patient. Her life hasn’t been one where everyone accepts her, Jason. I do not want to see her hurt.”

Lifting his pant leg, Jason showed his prosthesis to the kind man in front of him. “Had some issues with people seeing past this prosthetic leg, I understand to some degree her issues. I would not hurt her. She has been so kind to us. Yesterday, she brought everyone coffee and muffins for a snack.”

“She was making 3 huge lasagnas and 4 loaves of garlic bread when I talked to her this morning. Called her to make sure she reviewed her booklet and nothing was missing, she added the overhang to the back patio. She already knows that it is extra money for supplies and labor.”

“Let me see,” Jason looked at the plans that Delores had added to. “That is not bad at all, she has it free standing, but I am going to suggest that it gets anchored to the house to give it some more stability in the storms.”

“I already told her,” Tony snorted with laughter. “That you would Jasonize it to make sure it was structurally sound.”

“Jasonize it,” Jason laughed. “Like the play on words, it works for me.”

“I am going to run over to see Delores, help her load her car. I’m going to go put the deposit on the concrete for the patios and the blacktop for the driveways after we are done. I’ll be back here with the copies of the receipts. Are we positive on the amount we need?”

“We are,” Jason nodded. “It includes the gazebo area, we dug that for you yesterday. The outdoor kitchen at your place and Jethro’s house are going to be fantastic. I think that you will make a lot of great memories.”

Tony ran his errands with things starting to come together, he was starting to feel more confident about the arrival of his son. “Hey,” kissing his wife as he walked into her classroom. “Needed my help decorating for spring?”

“I do,” pointing to a pile of decorations. “Can you do the up high stuff? Ducky is supposed to be coming with something that he picked up at an estate sale the other day. I think Leon is coming too, he wanted to get my opinion on something for Kayla’s graduation gift. I was thinking, we should do something nice for him. It is because of him that we were not homeless after the fire.”

“I was thinking the same thing,” Tony sighed. “Do you have any ideas?”

“I do,” Ashley pulled a notebook from her desk drawer. “I was thinking we could maybe we could have him and the kids over for Easter dinner next weekend. We should do a nice dinner; I don’t mind doing the cooking and I am sure Delores will want to help me.”

“Give him the sense of family again,” Tony sighed as he placed his hand on his wife’s baby bump. “I love you and this baby so much; I cannot imagine the pain that Gibbs or Vance went through. I never want to live through that, I don’t think I could be as strong as they are.”

“What are you two up to?” Vance walked in with a smile on his face and a binder under his arm. “Bad timing?”

“Perfect timing,” Ashley hugged her friend. “Tony is helping me put up the decorations for spring. We were just making plans for Easter dinner. Do you have anything planned?”

“No,” Leon shook his head. “I asked my kids for ideas last night; I am still waiting. Typical teenagers, they are so busy with their friends and things.” 

“Perfect,” Ashley opened the binder. “You have some great ideas. I think she would love any of these gifts, but I have to say pages 1, 4 and 9 are my favorites. Oh, you are going to spend Easter with us, bring the kids over early. In fact, bring the kids over on Good Friday and plan to stay until after dinner on Sunday. I will have them so exhausted at the end of the day, they will not say a word about sharing a room for two nights.”

“We can put them in the den area,” Tony commented. “There is enough space there that we can actually put up a partition to make it two rooms. We have all our stuff packed up and ready to move into the house once it is done.”

“I have been working at the in the conference room of the office,” Ashley sighed. “I can hide away in there and do all of it in an hour, nobody finds me or bothers me until they are locking up.”

“That is perfect,” Vance snickered. “Secretary Porter was talking about bringing cybercrimes division over to that building, but I reminded her that Agent McGee would be part of that transition and she knew that was not a great idea.”

“Glad you reminded her,” Tony picked up the stapler along with the bunnies that were on the desk and climbed the step ladder. “I won’t work with him; I do not trust him. He bring down the integrity of the division we are building; he is so jealous of our making this move, he would be very underhanded.”

“Which is exactly what I told SecNav.” Vance picked up the other stapler and a pile of flowers. “Where do you want these? I really do not want to head back to NCIS today.”

“They go around that bulletin board,” Ashley pointed to the left of her desk. “The apples go on the corkboard strip that Jethro put in for me.”

“Her room is the envy of many teachers,” Tony laughed. “Gibbs has put in those strips in twelve rooms so far, he’s got a system to it now.”

“Takes under an hour,” Jethro commented as he walked in with his arms full of food. “They are happy, the kids love it and I get to give back. I got you some lunch too, Leon.”  
The friendly chatter was enough to keep everyone motivated to work on Ashley’s classroom while they made plans for Easter weekend. “If Delores is going to be there, we should do something fun.” Gibbs commented as he finished his meal. “Start a new tradition.”

“That could be fun,” Tony sighed as he tried to come up with ideas. “We’re going to have to consult Pinterest for ideas. I am void of creative thoughts.”

Good Friday arrived quickly, Vance showing up at work with the kids veering off to the house as he went into the offices. “You’re off the clock at noon,” Vance called out to his agents. “I am here to help, point me in the direction of what needs done.”

“Director,” Delores called out. “I need a supervisor review and signature on these reports. I have multiple inconsistencies with the employee files at this company. Three employees are not even military, as they claimed to be. I found two that are collecting two checks.”

“Good work,” Vance took the reports and sat down at the conference table. “You have so much detail in these reports. Could I see the program changes you made with our programmers?”

“Please,” Delores slid aside so that Vance could work at her computer. “I am going to go get some tea, what can I bring you?”

“I will take tea,” Vance looked over towards Delores’s tea selection. “Do you mind sharing with me?”

“Not at all,” winking she turned on her heels to go find a mug and get hot water. “I do recommend the orange pekoe tea in that blue green tin. Dr. Mallard brought it to me yesterday, I have had to force myself to ration it out. He is my tea buddy.”

Once he was convinced the tea was properly steeped, Vance took a sip. “We have to find out where he buys his teas. This is amazing.” Taking another sip, Vance looked up at his employee. “I hope this does not sound bad, but this move has been good for you. I do not think I have seen you smile before this.”

“I didn’t have much to smile about,” Delores sighed. “The money is great, I didn’t want to lose my job by speaking out, but there was a lot of cruelty at headquarters. People do not seem to be able to accept or wish to associate with someone they feel is different than themselves.”

“I am so sorry,” Vance sighed. “I knew people feared you, but I thought that it was because you were HR. No, I can’t say that and just fluff it off. I had heard the mumbling about a few management staff, I chose to ignore it. I am sorry, Delores. You deserved so much better that that.”

“I got it,” Delores pointed to where Tony was finishing up a report in his office. “That man and his friendship, they saved my life.”

“You made him a better person,” Gibbs whispered from the doorway. “You know that don’t you?”

“How did you come to that conclusion?” Delores started to straighten up her desk for the long weekend, her nerves starting to shine through. 

Moving over to the side of the desk, Gibbs placed his hand on hers. “You made him think outside the box when he picked out that gift for you. After that day, he was a changed man. He never looked at another person or another case with his mind made up about it or them until he took the time to know them.”

“Are we ready to close it up?” Tony pointed to the clock. “Ashley texted a picture of her and your children covered in flour holding a plate of cookies.”

“Oh my gosh,” Delores laughed at the picture. “Director Vance, I think your children are already having a good time.”

“When we walk out that door,” Vance looked at the three before him. “I am Leon, I am leaving Director Vance at the office.”

“Works for me,” Delores rolled her chair back to her desk. “I am starving, let’s go eat whatever that is in the crockpot and cookies.”

“We need to make crockpot hot cocoa,” Tony commented as they walked out the door. “It just happens to be something that Delores and I loved to do on our movie weekends.”

“Weekends?” Leon questioned.

“I would show up on Friday night,” Delores explained. “Stay until we left for work on Monday. We would watch movies, cook, go for long walks, shopping or just for a drive.”

“Dad!” Jared met his father in the living room. “Did you know they are building houses around the corner? Not one house, but three houses? They have an orchard, a huge garden area and some places we can explore.”

“I do,” Vance laughed. “That is why I told you both to pack your sneakers and jeans, we are going to be going over there a lot.”

“Wait until you see the underground tunnel,” Delores laughed. “We were in there last weekend but there was so much to look at, we had to stop exploring to get back to working on things for the houses.”

“Like for real exploring?” Jared looked at Tony with so much excitement, he melted the agent into a puddle.

“It has been declared structurally sound,” Tony smiled. “We’re going to be exploring after we eat lunch, I want to show you what our first project after the houses will be. This is something your dad does not know about.”

Lunch was full of enthusiasm. The Vance Family was excited to go see the houses and the surprise. “I know that we are no longer children, but it really feels good to have a family feel to the holiday again. Thank you for having us,” Kayla commented over her lunch. “I am really excited to see your new home; I can’t wait to meet your baby. Delores, Ashley was telling me that you are an amazing cook and baker. I bet your kitchen is going to be awesome.”

“I am really excited about it,” Delores sighed. “Would you work on a list of essentials with me this weekend? I am so overwhelmed; I am worried I am going to forget someone. I have someone wanting my furniture, so I am getting new everything. This is like a dream for me.”

“We are going to do one later,” Tony sighed. “We want to get the landscaping in place and figure out the best spot for it. “We have so much to do with the greenhouses and things. It will happen but might be a couple months.”

“How much longer before your baby comes?” Jared changed the subject.

“2 ½ months,” Tony replied. “You interested in having kids someday?”

“Don’t know yet,” Jared shrugged. “Want to know that my dad will be around when I do have a kid, but his job is so dangerous.”

“What about you, Kayla?” Ashley whispered softly; she could see there was something on the young woman’s mind.

“I would love to,” Kayla paused and looked to her father. “I would not put my family in the danger that we have been put in over the years because of NCIS. I would not want my child wondering if I am going to be gunned down in the street because someone was upset with how justice was served.”

“I wish my dad wasn’t the big boss,” Jared sighed. “I am scared the next time someone goes after him, he will die. Why can’t you come work with Agent Gibbs and Agent DiNozzo?”

“I am working on that option for the future,” Leon sighed. “What I do, it took me a long time of fighting my way to the top to do this. I am an African American male in the position of agency director; you must understand what an accomplishment that is. I was not chosen to be an agent to succeed; I was chosen to be an agent because they felt I was disposable. They decided they would throw me in the deep end and if I died trying, it was no loss. I have had to prove to them and myself that I am worthy of this appointment.”

“When do you choose which is more important? Your job or your family?” Kayla pushed herself away from the table. “It was delicious, I need some air.”

“Let’s go see the houses,” Ashley grabbed her coat and slipped into her boots. “I want your opinion on something.”

Ashley walked Kayla through the house; the young woman becoming very intrigued by the layout of the rooms. “Your kitchen is so big,” pointing to the markings on the floor. “Is that for the island?”

“It is,” Ashley nodded. “We want a big one because there will be times like we ha today where our kitchen will be the central hub for a meal, and we want room for everyone to help.”

“Where is the baby going to sleep?” Jared walked through the rooms, divided by stud walls.

“This room here is for the baby,” Tony pointed out. “We are putting in a big window with a window seat.”

“He can watch out the window for animals,” Jarod looked at the view. “He can see Agent Gibbs’s house from here, but he won’t be able to in the spring when the tree leaves are out.”

“Will there be a trail into the woods?” Kayla made her way down the hallway. “Your bathroom is huge! This is the shower?”

“It is,” Ashley laughed. “I wanted one that I could just walk into it and if I needed to put the baby where I could see him while I get cleaned up. This way, I can put him right here and walk the four feet into the shower. We put the bench in because Jethro suggested it would be a good idea, he used to sit on the bathroom floor to steam his daughter when she had a cold.”

“He had a daughter?” Kayla whispered to Ashley.

“She and her mother were killed,” Ashley replied softly. “His wife witnessed a crime, she was going to testify against the man that she saw do it. She was being transported to a safe house with their daughter while the trial was going on. The NCIS agent protecting them during the transport was shot and killed instantly, that resulted in the vehicle crashing and they died from injuries in the accident.”

“That is so sad,” Kayla wiped at her tears as she moved to sit on an overturned bucket. “I know the world needs people like my dad, Tony and Gibbs, but I am so scared someone is going to hurt him again. I’m afraid for my future, what if they use me to get to him or my brother?”

“I cannot stop the world from being so toxic,” Ashley blew out a breath. “What I can do is try to support my husband and Gibbs as they try to keep a small part of the world a bit safer. Your mother knew exactly who your father was when she married him. She loved him and trusted him enough to have two beautiful children with him. I know you are worried and scared; I know that your mother’s death hurts you. Just remember, Kayla, you are not the only one that hurts because she died. Your father carries the guilt of her death with him, the same way that Jethro carries the death of his girls with him. Our part, in their lives, is to love them and support them. You don’t have to let your guard down, but maybe you can just love him to save him.”

“Someday,” Gibbs stepped into the room, turned over a bucket and sat next to Kayla. “You are going to love someone so deeply that you feel as if your heart beats in unison with theirs. That is the day that you are really going to understand the decisions your father has made. Lord willing, you will have a child and when you feel that first kick or hold your baby for the first time, the whole world’s perspective is going to change. Your dad needs you to love him and to be his child. I cannot get my daughter back, but if I could have one more day with her, I would spend it watching her be my child and loving her life.”

“You okay?” Tony whispered as he watched Vance fight emotions.

“I miss her,” Leon’s voice trembled. “Every single day, I relive that scene at the house and I have so much guilt. It’s almost swallowed me whole a few times, but I know that I have to be here for them.”

“Gibbs almost ate his gun after he lost his wife and daughter.” Tony paused. “He understands your pain if you ever need that type of support. We are all here for you, never forget that you have family within your team.”

“Dad?” Jared made his way to his father’s side. “Want to walk one of the trails with me? Delores says they have something to show us at the end of one of them.”

“You purchased the wooded area next to you?” Vance looked at the path confused. 

“We purchased all the surrounding land,” Gibbs replied. “We kicked in money towards the land purchase to expand the property and have that beautiful wooded area.”

“Where are we going?” Jared was getting tired of walking on the uneven ground. 

“Over here,” Gibbs pointed to what looked to be a fallen tree. The Vance family stood in shock as Tony lifted the trunk and Gibbs helped the ladies down what appeared to be steps. “Here, you need to take a flashlight and follow close for a while.”

The underground walk was intriguing as Gibbs made his way to what seemed to be a blank wall and pushed. “We are going to do a lot more work on this, but if there is ever any trouble that your father needs to be protected from or that he feels you need to be, this is where you will come.” Delores explained as they made their way into what appeared to be an underground apartment. 

“Everything in here works,” Ashley laughed. “We traced it to surface at the wishing well that we had demolished. We are going to move the second entrance to someplace a little less death defying to climb down. There is a great air supply. We are going to work on a heat source and water, but it’s an option if the safe house is ever not safe enough.”

“Your land is so cool,” Jared looked around the rooms that were constructed. “What would they have used this for?”

“From what we have been able to find so far,” Delores sighed. “It’s possibly part of the underground railroad. We are not 100% sure, but what we see makes sense and the tunnel goes miles beyond where we entered and exit.”

“We could access this from the satellite office?” Vance looked around with great intrigue.

“It goes run over that way,” Tony confirmed. “I don’t know how many of these rest areas there are along the path or how often they pop up. It will be worth looking into down the line.”

“What do you think?” Vance looked to his grown children.

“I think that it is amazing,” Kayla ran her hands over one of the walls. “To know the stories these walls, hold that is connected to our ancestry and to have them be an option for safety for us in the future. It’s incredible.”

“Um,” Ashley groaned in pain. “Tony!” Doubled over in pain, Ashley reached her hand out to find her husband. “Oh, that hurts.”

“No, No,No,” Tony exclaimed in fear. “Baby boy, you have eleven more weeks. Let’s get topside, call the doctor.”

“Stay calm,” Vance coached the expectant parents. “Jared, you walk ahead with a flashlight, Kayla go with your brother. Gibbs let’s walk close in case Tony needs out help to carry her out of here. Delores, go with my children.”

“Keep taking nice, deep breaths,” Tony coached as he held onto his wife. “It is going to be okay. We’re going to get topside, call the doctor and it will be okay.”

“I don’t want to lose this baby,” Ashley sobbed as another contraction hit. 

“I’m going to carry you,” Tony picked up his wife. “Rest, I got you. Come on, I got you.”

“Where is your brother?” Leon questioned as they surfaced from the tunnel. “Kayla?”

“He went to get the SUV,” Kayla confessed. “He is a good driver, daddy. He is going to bring it as far as the beginning of the path.”

True to her word, Jared was pulling up as they made their way out of the wooded area. “I got her some water and a couple blankets,” handing over the items to his dad, the young man started opening doors to the vehicle. 

“Let’s go,” Gibbs helped Tony lift his wife into the SUV. “Get her home and into bed, call the doctor and see what she says.”

“We’re going to the hospital,” Vance stated as he put the vehicle in gear. “Best to safe with our baby.”


	20. Chapter 20

“Gibbs,” Delores made her way over to her friend. “Are you holding up okay?”

“Trying,” Gibbs voice cracked as he turned towards the window. “I don’t..”

“Want them to know the pain of losing a child,” Delores sighed. “I know you don’t, but she is strong and healthy. Maybe she just over did it with all the cooking, cleaning, walking and things.”

“Maybe,” Gibbs whispered, his heart felt like it had shattered in his chest.

“Mr. Gibbs?” A nurse called out Jethro’s name as she approached. “Your son and daughter in law want you with them. She and the baby are okay, everyone can breathe. I will let the family fill you in, but they want the rest of you to go get some fresh air and mom asked that you go back to the house and put away the cookies before they go stale.”

“We will do that right now,” Vance ushered everyone towards the door. “Tell them to call when they need a ride, we will make sure everything at the house is okay.”

“Jethro,” Ashley called out as their friend walked through the door. “Relax.”

“She is exhausted and dehydrated,” Tony explained. “She is to slow down, increase her fluids and decrease stress. They are going to let her out as soon as the fluids have finished running. They were Braxton Hicks contractions; they have stopped, and our baby is good. In fact, he’s perfect.” Tony showed Gibbs the print from the ultrasound done only moments before. 

“He’s a handsome boy,” Gibbs smiled as his finger caressed the picture. “I can’t wait to meet you, but not yet. We have to get your house done and I have to finish the surprise I am making you. You have to get bigger and stronger, it won’t be long little one.”

“We may have to modify our plans,” Tony sighed. “Ashley and our son need some rest.”

“Delores and I can work on our purchases for houses while you take Vance and his family over to show them more about the tunnel. Those young people need to feel something in this world will be safe for them.” Ashley sighed. “We have a lot of things to purchase for the house, we lost a lot of stuff.”

“I do too,” Gibbs groaned. “You know me well enough; would you do my ordering if I give you my credit card? I already picked out all the appliances. I have to pick out some furniture.”

“We do too,” Tony paused. “We lost what was upstairs and the things in the garage were deemed a loss due to water damage. We need furniture, I would like to go sit my butt on sofas and not pick one untested.”

“Agreed,” Ashley and Gibbs sang out in unison. 

“That nurse thinks that I am your father,” Gibbs whispered to Tony. 

“We told her you were,” Ashley clutched Jethro’s hand tighter. “We are family, we wanted you with us.”

“I knew you would be scared,” Tony said softly. “I know you do get scared, don’t hide it. We wanted you with us; I wanted you to see my handsome boy.”

“He is good looking,” Gibbs leaned in to scrutinize the ultrasound. “Very good looking.”

By the time the trio returned to the house, Delores and the Vance family had washed all the bedding, remade the bed, cleaned the house, and started dinner. “We had a lot of nervous energy,” Leon explained. “Jared is going to bunk with me, Kayla will have her own space.”

“The sofa is made up into a soft nap spot,” Kayla pointed. “I thought we could watch a few movies. You have an amazing, animated collection, it would be good for the baby to get started early on such classics.”

“I’m in,” Ashley plopped on the sofa with her feet up. “Snacks?”

“Oh, we have snacks.” Jared laughed. “We went to the grocery store to stock up. My dad said something about us eating you out of house and home if we did not. For the record, I am a teenage boy, it’s in my DNA to inhale everything in the cupboards.”

“At what age does that kick in?” Ashley questioned as she put her arms over her chest, making Gibbs chuckle. 

“Teenage years,” Vance reassured. “You don’t have to worry for a while.”

Saturday morning found Gibbs, Tony and Vance sneaking off before the break of day to make up Easter Baskets, making their way into the new house for their mission. “I haven’t made up a basket like this in years.” Vance snickered as he carefully constructed the basket with edible favorites for each child. “Your idea for gift vouchers in the eggs is brilliant. I was thinking about doing surprise room makeovers for the kids. They are both older now, I think they would appreciate it if their rooms fit their lifestyles. I spoke with your contractor, he came by and bid the jobs for me too.”

“Tony?” Delores knocked on the door of the home. “Ashley said to come get you three for breakfast. We have French toast casserole in the oven and Kayla took Ashley to her syrup supplier and for some gourmet hot chocolate that she knows of.”

“There goes our furniture fund,” Tony laughed. “Let’s go before Delores comes in here and sees this stuff.”

“I wanted to talk to you about my porch,” Delores pointed to the structure of her house. “I know Jason wants to attach the covering for the porch, I was thinking that a porch extension with a railing around it so the baby is safe and doesn’t fall off. Grill and kitchen area can be outside the kitchen and we can put a gated area there to keep the little one from being hurt or the dogs.”

“I will help you draw it,” Gibbs offered as he looked at the back of the house. “You could do a deck beyond that at some point too, once you get moved in and picture what you want your back yard to look like.”

Satisfied with that Gibbs would help her capture the likeness of what she wanted, Delores jumped in her car and headed out of the driveway, turning towards town and confusing the three men. 

“Do you know what you want for a patio?” Vance questioned Tony as they walked down towards the car. 

“We want a fence for the dogs,” Tony sighed. “We have been over a bunch of ideas on how the fence should go, but not settled on anything. Jason was going to find me some suggestions to look at. The entire property is going to have a fence around it to keep the likes of the former team out, but we want to keep the dogs safe and out of the driveways.”

“Not kind to have them pooping in the yard of Ms. Bromstead since she doesn’t have dogs,” Vance paused. “Wonder if she would like a dog?”

“She has a cat; I got her a kitten two years ago for her birthday. They are the best of friends; she brings Sadie with her if she is going to stay overnight.” Laughing, Tony pointed at Gibbs. "She loves Gibbs."

“She brings her over if she is going to be with after work, she stays at the house and knows her way around to her litter box and things.” Gibbs shrugged. “Very loving cat, she loves all of us. I bet she went to get her, I heard Ashley tell her last night when she left to bring her and an overnight bag.”

Saturday was filled with movies, food, conversation, and a lot of love from the dogs and Sadie.. The Vance family finding joy in the holiday for the first time since Jackie’s death. “Gibbs,” Jared called to the older man from the back bedroom. “I saw there was a drawing and I wanted to see what it was, I am sorry I came in without asking.”

“It’s fine,” Gibbs watched Jared’s face as he studied the plans that he had been working on for his landscaping. “Got something on your mind?”

“Those trees are from your old house?” Jared pointed to the drawing. “Is it a memorial?”

“Yep,” Gibbs paused. “Of sorts. My daughter buried her time capsule under that middle one, I wanted to keep it under that tree, so I brought them with me. That area in the front, I can’t decide between a bench or a small fence.”

“May I borrow your sketch pad?” Jared pointed to the unused tablet sitting on the chair. “I’ll give it back, I promise.”

“Sure,” Gibbs handed over his tablet. “Got some pencils in that box if you need them.”

“Everything okay in here?” Vance stepped into Jethro’s bedroom. “Jared?”

“It’s fine,” making his way out of the bed and down the hallway, the young man vanished for a couple hours, coming out when called for a snack or a meal. “I’m working on something; it will be done soon. I don’t mean to seem rude.”

“Let’s work on ordering things,” Ashley pointed to the laptops on the kitchen table. “Leon, you keep Gibbs on track. Kayla, I think Delores would love your opinion and husband, you are her with me.”

It took a couple hours for the group to work through the list of rooms. By the time they were done, the felt as if they had accomplished great things for their future. “Gibbs,” Delores turned her computer towards him. “Which one of these two beds do you think would go best with the built in nightstands that I have Jason building?”

“That oak one,” Gibbs said without hesitation. “Matches the design perfectly, looks pretty comfortable too.”

“Gibbs,” Jared slowly walked into the dining area. “I think that you should do the bench. If you would allow me, I would like to submit this to an engraver and have it etched on the stone.”

Gibbs grasped the sketch pad tight, his hands shaking as he looked at the beautiful sketch of his wife pushing their daughter on a swing with Jackson standing at the side watching, all with a smile on their face. “This is………”

“Oh Jared,” Ashley made her way to Gibbs’s side to look. “That is beautiful.”

“You’ve touched his soul,” Delores whispered into the young man’s ear as she watched her friend’s eyes fill with tears that threatened to spill over his cheeks.

“Why?” Gibbs looked to the young man, causing Jared to startle as he saw the emotions playing across Jethro's face.

“You saved my dad’s life,” Jared started out slowly. “I wanted to say thank you for that. Besides, when I look at the sketches of my mom and she looks happy, it makes my heart hurt a little less.”

“Thank you,” Gibbs as he handed the sketch pad to Vance. 

“You are gifted, son.” Leon looked astounded. “Could I see the ones of your mother?”

“Tomorrow, when we get home.” Jared whispered as he took a seat between Gibbs and Delores. “Did you remember that you need runners for your front door, back door and a shoe rack?”

“No,” Gibbs snorted with laughter, his heart feeling lighter. “Here’s what I have, what else am I missing?”

“Paper Towel holder in the kitchen, extra toilet paper roll caddy for the bathroom. It’s saved me from embarrassment a few times. Soda can holder for the fridge, saves room.”

“Oh, a garden hose holder,” Kayla gasped to Delores. “I have tripped over way too many hoses in my lifetime.”

With Sadie curled in her lap, Delores navigated through the webpages to find everything that Kayla could think of by doing a mental walk through of her dad’s house. “You know your stuff,” Delores laughed. “Apartment living is so different; I am not sure how I am going to get used to the quiet.”

“It won’t take you long,” Kayla reassured as she leaned in so that she could pet on Sadie. “She is going to love sunning herself on the back porch.”

“Can we go hiking in the woods?” Jared pointed out the window. “Looks like there is a trail.”

“Let’s go,” Tony grabbed his coat and boots. 

Gibbs offered to stay with Ashley, he rarely had time where it was just the two of them. Surprised when the pregnant woman sat beside him, taking his hand in her own and placing it on her stomach. “My grandson is very active today. Are you excited?”

“Excited and scared,” Ashley sighed. “What if I cannot handle the pain of labor or I fart or worse, poop trying to push.”

“You will be able to handle the pain,” Gibbs reassured. “You are strong, and I know that you want to see his face and count his toes.”

“Will you go on a date with me?” Ashley snuggled in closer. “We do not get time together; Tony needs to spend some one on one with Delores too. I want to get to know you better, Jethro.”

“I would love that,” Gibbs nodded. “Anything special that you want to do?”

“Go to the zoo?” Ashley watched as Gibbs plotted their day in his head. “Is that okay?”

“Oh,” Gibbs winked. “It’s more than okay.”

“That cat loves you,” Ashley laughed as Sadie climbed on Jethro’s shoulder and snuggled into his neck. “Really loves you.”

By the time the group came back from hiking, Gibbs and Ashley had planned their date, snacked, watched a movie and were now napping snuggled closely on the sofa. “What are you looking at DiNozzo?” Gibbs mumbled half asleep.

“You stole my wife,” Tony teased. “I’m jealous.”

“We’re going on a date,” Ashley commented as she stretched. “That was a great nap; oh, we slept together. I’m so damn funny.”

“Real comedian,” Tony grumbled as he turned to Delores, swept her into his arms and planted a kiss on her lips. “Want to be my mistress?”

“I thought that I already was,” there was a playful tone that Tony loved from his friend. “We have shared many good nights; we have a four- legged child together and you have been supporting her.”

“Are they always like this?” Kayla whispered to her father.

“Since they aren’t yelling,” Vance snorted. “I’d say yes.”

“Dad, what made you say yes to coming here this weekend? I’m having a great time; we should hang out with them more often.” Jared picked up a pencil and started to add some more detail to his sketch that he gave to Gibbs. Lost in his art, he didn't wait for a response.

With dinner and game night behind them, the house inhabitants stumbled to bed, Delores and Sadie sharing a room with Kayla, at her request. “It’s been a long time since I laughed that hard,” Vance commented as he walked down the hallway with Tony and Ashley. “Thank you so much for having us.”

“Once we get into the house,” Tony waited to see if Ashley was going to interrupt. “There will be more of this; family looks after family.”

Ashley was the first one up, she flipped on the coffee pot as she opened the door for the dogs to got potty. Turning towards the living room, she was shocked to find it lined with baskets filled with gifts. Softly walking to the closet, she pulled out her gift bags for Tony, Delores, Gibbs, Kayla, Jared, Leon and the pups. 

“Oh, my word,” Delores whispered as she added baskets to the pile. “I didn’t expect this.”

“Me either,” Ashley’s eyes landed on the one for the baby. “Delores, that is amazing. You are going to make a wonderful aunt to this little boy.”

“Aunt?” there was a gasp that proceeded the word. “I’m going to be an auntie?”

“If you want to be,” Tony hugged the ladies from behind. “We would be honored for you to be such a big part of our baby’s life. Please?”

“Yes,” Delores hugged both of her friends. “I am so touched, I can’t tell you how touched that I am.”

There were baskets for everyone, from just about everyone. Vance and his children had managed to make baskets up for their new family while Ashley was in the hospital.

“Gibbs,” Ashley handed a basket and three bags to her friend while Tony did the same for Leon. “In our home, everyone is included.”

Moved by their gifts, the two men were left speechless. “Grandpa and Uncle are very important roles to fill in the life of our child,” Tony commented. “That should be just about everything you need to assume the roles. Coffee mugs are the essential part of assuming the role. The coffee and other goodies are just added bonuses to keep you hooked for free babysitting.” 

“We are remodeling?” Kayla gasped. “Oh my God! Finally!”

Laughter broke out in the house, breaking the emotional tensions that were building. By the time everyone got through their baskets, they recipients found themselves closer than they had been the night before.

“This was nice,” Kayla commented as she hugged Delores, Tony and Ashley. “Thank you for giving us a family holiday, it’s been so long since it has felt okay to be happy.”

“Your mom would not want you to live the rest of your life in sadness.” Ashley placed a protective hand on her growing son. “A mother wants to see more smiles than tears, hear more laughter than sobs. Your future is bright, live it in honor of your mother. She would want that for you.”

“Can we do this again for Christmas?” Jared asked as he started towards the door with his gifts. “I mean being part of your family; it brought back the love.”

“Leon,” Tony motioned to his boss to join him in the kitchen. “Did you open the golden egg in your basket?”

“No, I was so involved with the kids, I stopped.” Vance walked out to his basket, found the egg in question, and opened it. “An invitation to have my family spend holidays with you, at my discretion. That is very generous, Tony.”

“They are happy, Leon. The smiles on their faces is worth every moment that we spend together. Besides, I think that you and I could be good friends with the politics of the office aside.” Tony extended his hand in friendship, surprised when Vance pulled him into a hug.

“Thank you for making my children smile,” letting go, Vance grasped Ashley’s hand as she walked up. “Thank you for making them feel safe too.”

“It’s a different life,” Tony sighed. “I had to think what I would want for my family, if a case goes wrong. When we found those tunnels and that room under the barn, I knew that it would be the right place to protect them. Sharing it with you, it feels right.”

“Room under the barn?” Ashley questioned in confusion.

“Seems the former owners were doomsday preppers,” Vance explained to help Tony out. “There is a lot of stuff down there that we might have to use someday. Once you have that little baby, you can check it out for yourself.”

“Delores,” Kayla turned and hugged her new friend again. “Please make sure I get an invitation to the baby shower; I have the best idea for a gift. I will help you decorate or whatever.”

“You got a deal,” Delores nodded as she hugged both Vance children. “You are going to do amazing things with your life, both of you. Never let your fears stifle your plans. Your dad will be okay, he has amazing agents to protect him. Live your lives, it’s what your mom would want you to do.”

With very full hearts, the guests left. Collapsing on the sofa in a state of exhaustion, Gibbs snuggled with the pups and fell asleep leaving Tony and Ashley to lock up and find spots of their own to snuggle in and get some much-needed sleep, each with a dog snuggle into their necks.


	21. The End...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Here is the final chapter. I was going to draw this out for a few more chapters, but I have decided not to do that. I have noticed that people just do not seem to be that involved with NCIS stories these days. Maybe it’s the age of the show, the change in dynamics or the fact that I refuse to write slash. It’s been a great run! I do hope ya’ll are happy and healthy. May your days ahead be bright and filled with love!

“Those look beautiful,” Gibbs commented as he walked up to where Ashley was planting flowers in the boxes adorning the deck railing. “Everything has come together so nice.”

“Hard to believe we have been in our houses for 2 months now,” Ashley stood and stretched. “It’s almost time to meet this little guy, I’m ready to not be pregnant. I miss seeing my toes and I want to be able to get in the pool and just cool off.”

“When that baby gets here,” Gibbs placed his hand gently on belly that was housing his grandchild. “You’re going to remember the journey to get here, thankful for the beautiful child in your arms.”

“Ouch,” Ashley gasped as she rubbed her stomach. “That one felt different than the false alarms.”

“Let’s time them,” Gibbs looked down at his watch. “Where’s Tony?”

“He went to get the stuff for the orchard and the garden tools,” Ashley gasped in pain. “Gibbs, I think we need to get ready to go.”

“Okay,” Gibbs helped Ashley inside as he yelled for Delores. “Delores is going to get your overnight bag, I am going to go put my dogs in and lock my house, I will get your girls on my way back. I’ll call Tony as I go.”

“You better hurry,” Delores stated as she watched Ashley grimace again. “I have no idea how to deliver a baby. Let’s get your bag. Do you want a shower or anything before you go?”

“Yeah,” Ashley made her way into the bathroom and turned the handle; holding her stomach as she did. “Hold on little dude, mommy is going to get cleaned up so I can get sweaty to push your cute little self out.” 

By the time Gibbs returned, the mommy to be was pulling her long brown hair into a ponytail and smoothing out her sun dress. “Sandals,” sliding her feet into the shoes, she started for the door of the bedroom only to drop to her knees. “GIBBS!!! DELORES!”

“Go get some towels,” Gibbs ordered Delores. “Your water broke, it’s okay. We need to go, we’ll keep calling Tony as we drive.”

“Ashley?” Tony ran inside, his heart beating in his chest. “How far apart are the contractions?”

“Seven minutes,” Ashley panted. “Get a lightening fast shower, your son is not seeing you looking like you rolled in the garden.” 

Tony didn’t remember what he washed or rinsed, he just knew that he did. Gibbs handed him his clothes as he dried off. Following Gibbs out the door, Tony helped his wife to the car relieved that Jethro was driving and Delores was in the front to keep him focused.

“Any word yet?” Vance jogged into the waiting area.

“No,” Gibbs shook his head. “Been two hours, I was hoping we’d get an update.”

“Excuse me,” a nurse, Amy, made her way into the waiting area. “I am looking for Jethro and Delores.”

“That’s us,” Delores jumped up. “What’s wrong?”

“Come with me,” leading the way down the hallway, Amy handed the duo each a gown, mask, hair covering and gloves. “Come with me.”

“Hey,” Tony groaned as Ashley squeezed his hand harder. “She’s about to start pushing, we wanted you with us. Delores, come over here with me.”

“Okay mommy,” the doctor called out. “On the next contraction you are going to give me a big push. Go!”

“Oh my God,” Ashley growled as she pushed.

“Stop,” there was a pause. “Rest for a minute, you’re doing great I can see the head. On the next contraction, I want you to hold it. You’re going to push on the second one, let’s get ready. Okay, push. Put everything that you got into it, Ashley.”

“You can do this,” Tony reassured as Gibbs rubbed the young woman’s back and Delores put a cold compress to her neck. “Come on, honey. Let’s meet our son. I know it hurts, but you can do it.”

“Head’s out,” there was a pause. “This baby has gorgeous hair. Now, let’s get those shoulders out. Push!”

“I want my baby!” Ashley growled as she put everything she had into the push. 

“Come on little boy, come to mama!” Tony called out making his wife giggle a little bit. “You’re doing so great, I love you so much.”

“Here he is,” the nurse wiped the baby off, cleared his mouth and nose as he placed the little boy on his mother’s stomach. “What a beautiful little man.”

“Welcome to the world Landon,” Ashley whispered. “We love you so much.”

“We’re going to weigh him and give him a bath,” the nurse said softly as she took the baby from Ashley’s arms. “I’ll bring him to your room.”  
“Wait,” Ashley stopped the nurse. “Could grandpa and daddy help with the bath?”

“Sure,” the nurse motioned for Tony and Gibbs to follow her while Delores stayed with mommy.

“He is so pretty,” Delores whispered. “I found some very cute outfits the other day, I can’t wait for us to play dress up with him.”

“You know me so well,” the exhausted mom sighed as the doctor finished taking care of her. “I can’t want to see him again. I can’t wait for you to hold him!”

“Gibbs,” Tony gently washed his son’s belly. “I want you to meet Landon James DiNozzo. The next LJ in our lives, we know that you have never been found of your name, but we wanted to honor your part in our lives somehow and we loved the name.”

“Thank you,” Gibbs choked out. “He’s a good-looking boy, Tony. I’m so proud of you both.”


End file.
